Kremlin confirms Ukraine-U.S. talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 — SkimNews
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- Kremlin confirmed that a Russian delegation will participate in U.S.-mediated trilateral talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, 2026, as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war.
- Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, announced the Abu Dhabi meeting after holding talks with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky in October.
- Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide and former culture minister, will lead the Russian delegation and has previously represented Russia in failed negotiations in 2022, Istanbul, and Geneva.
- Vladimir Medinsky, known for his nationalistic views on Russian history and co-authoring school textbooks that glorify Moscow's role in Ukraine, was born in Ukraine and continues to play a central role in peace talks.
- Ukraine’s delegation will join the talks as President Zelenskyy seeks a pathway to direct negotiations with Putin, according to Al Jazeera's reporting on the summit.
Why it matters: This marks the first confirmed high-level diplomatic engagement involving all three parties since 2022, with Medinsky’s repeated role signaling continuity in Russia’s negotiating stance despite past failures. The choice of Abu Dhabi and U.S. mediation under Trump’s envoy suggests a strategic shift in venue and broker, potentially altering leverage dynamics.
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