Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States met for about four hours in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday in their first three-way peace talks since February. Reports from Kyiv say the first day produced an agreement on a large prisoner exchange, and the talks are set to resume Wednesday, Nov. 11.
No breakthrough on ending the war was announced. But Ukraine also said it has offered its own ceasefire proposals for the Black Sea and the energy sector and is waiting for Moscow’s answer.
What came out of day one
The Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine first reported the prisoner deal, citing an unnamed source close to Kyiv’s negotiating team who called it an important result of the delegation’s work, UNITED24 Media reported. No numbers or timeline were released, and the report did not include an official confirmation from either government.
Prisoner swaps have been the most common result of these talks. In February, an earlier Abu Dhabi round ended with 157 prisoners going home on each side, Gulf News reported at the time. Ahead of this round, U.S. officials told ABC News that another exchange was the most widely expected near-term result.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, speaking after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris, said Kyiv’s main messages in Abu Dhabi were de-escalation, the proposed ceasefires, security guarantees and a possible meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Interfax-Ukraine. He said Ukraine had shared its ceasefire ideas with partners.
Kyiv is “now awaiting a response from the Russian side.” — Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, via Interfax-Ukraine
Who is at the table
- United States: White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are mediating.
- Ukraine: Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, leads the delegation, ABC News reported.
- Russia: Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads a team that includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
- Europe: France, Germany and the European Commission sent officials to Abu Dhabi, but the Kremlin says the talks are strictly three-way, Al Jazeera reported.
Before the opening session, Ukrainian delegates and the U.S. mediators met with European and NATO representatives to coordinate, The Moscow Times reported. Umerov said Kyiv’s priorities are ending the fighting, reliable post-war security guarantees, economic recovery and humanitarian steps.
Where the two sides stand
The gaps remain wide. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from four regions Moscow claims to have annexed in 2022 and to be permanently barred from NATO, ABC News reported. Ukraine rejects giving up land it still controls and wants firm security guarantees from the United States and its allies.
An unnamed U.S. official told Al Jazeera that both sides had privately shown some flexibility on a possible territory exchange, and that any land deal would most likely come at the end. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks would focus on security guarantees. President Trump said Monday the two sides are “tired of fighting,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the process still has a long way to go.
The fighting has not paused. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 162 drones and one ballistic missile overnight into Tuesday, ABC News reported. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed at least 155 Ukrainian drones. Days earlier, Russian missiles hit Kyiv’s power system and a bridge.
Why it matters for families
The war, now nearing its fifth year, has separated many Ukrainian and Russian families from loved ones held as prisoners of war. Each exchange brings some of them home. A ceasefire on energy targets could also mean fewer blackouts for Ukrainian households heading into winter, though Russia has not responded to that proposal.
What to watch next
Talks resume Wednesday. Watch for official confirmation of the prisoner exchange and its size, any Russian reply to the Black Sea and energy ceasefire ideas, and whether European officials get a seat at the table. Analysts quoted by ABC News cautioned that a broader deal is unlikely soon. Upstormed News will follow the talks as they continue.
Read more: Ukraine, Russia and U.S. Open Abu Dhabi Peace Talks Tuesday as Europe Seeks a Role
Do you think a prisoner exchange can build enough trust for a wider ceasefire?
Sources: ABC News, “Russia, Ukraine and US meet for Abu Dhabi talks as Trump says war can ‘end soon’” (November 10, 2026); Al Jazeera, “Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes” (November 10, 2026); The Moscow Times, “Russia and Ukraine Hold New Round of U.S.-Mediated Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi” (November 10, 2026); UNITED24 Media, “Ukraine and Russia Reportedly Agree to Large-Scale Prisoner Exchange in Abu Dhabi” (November 10, 2026); Interfax-Ukraine, “Ukraine proposes Black Sea, energy ceasefire – Sybiha” (November 10, 2026); NPR, “Russia and Ukraine hold nearly 4 hours of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi” (November 10, 2026); Gulf News, “US-Russia military contacts resume in Abu Dhabi after five-year gap” (February 5, 2026)
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