Date: November 11, 2026
By Stephen Iwuh | Dalena Reporters
United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following two days of US-mediated peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi, as Washington intensifies efforts to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The planned diplomatic meetings come after Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives concluded discussions in the United Arab Emirates, with both sides reporting some progress but acknowledging that major disagreements remain unresolved.
According to reports, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel first to Moscow on Thursday to meet Putin before proceeding to Dublin, Ireland, where they are expected to meet Zelenskyy during his engagements with European leaders.
The American representatives hope to build on the discussions in Abu Dhabi and explore possible compromises on the issues preventing an agreement to end the conflict.
Kushner said the discussions had revealed opportunities for progress and that the American delegation wanted to continue working through the proposals raised during the negotiations.
Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, also acknowledged that opportunities remained for continuing the diplomatic process, although he warned that significant differences still needed to be addressed.
Major Prisoner Exchange Agreement Emerges From Abu Dhabi Talks
One of the most significant developments from the negotiations was an agreement in principle for a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
Kushner described the proposed arrangement as potentially the biggest prisoner exchange of the war, although neither side immediately provided a confirmed total.
Ukrainian officials said the discussions had produced progress on humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners, while Russian representatives also confirmed that an agreement had been reached in principle.
Reports indicated that the proposed exchange could involve more than 1,000 prisoners from each side, with further negotiations required to finalize the arrangements.
The proposed exchange is being viewed as an important confidence-building measure between the two countries, particularly after months of stalled diplomatic engagement.
Prisoner exchanges have remained one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv have demonstrated an ability to reach practical agreements despite their wider disagreements over territory, security and the future of Ukraine.
The two governments are expected to continue discussions on the details and implementation of the arrangement.
Territorial Disputes Remain the Biggest Obstacle to Peace
Despite the progress on humanitarian matters, territorial disagreements continue to present the greatest challenge to reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from parts of eastern Ukraine that remain under Kyiv's control. Moscow has also called for a broader agreement addressing Europe's security arrangements, including issues connected to NATO's military presence and Western support for Ukraine.
Ukraine has repeatedly rejected demands that would require it to surrender territory.
Kyiv maintains that a ceasefire should come before negotiations over territorial arrangements and has continued to call for a direct meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin to address the most difficult issues.
Russian officials, however, have shown little indication of abandoning their demands.
Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, said discussions would continue but emphasized Moscow's position on territorial and broader European security questions.
The disagreement reflects the fundamental differences between the two governments. Ukraine wants guarantees that Russia will not launch another invasion after a ceasefire, while Moscow is seeking concessions that would significantly change the security balance in Europe.
These competing demands have made it difficult for Washington to develop a proposal acceptable to both sides.
Disagreement Over Europe's Role in Peace Negotiations
Another major issue emerging from the Abu Dhabi discussions is the disagreement over how European countries should participate in future negotiations.
Ukraine wants its European partners to have a direct role in discussions concerning the country's security and the future of the continent.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy, alongside representatives of NATO and the European Union, participated in meetings on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi negotiations.
However, Russia's delegation leader questioned the value of involving European governments directly in the peace process, arguing that Moscow had not received concrete peace proposals from them.
Kushner said the United States wanted to find a way to include European representatives in the negotiating format.
He also suggested that European countries should identify one person who could represent their collective position during discussions.
The issue is particularly sensitive because European governments have provided Ukraine with substantial military, financial and political support since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
European leaders are concerned that an agreement negotiated primarily between Washington and Moscow could determine Ukraine's future without adequately considering the interests of Kyiv and its European allies.
Germany has also insisted that Russia must first halt its military operations before broader discussions about Europe's future security arrangements can proceed.
Trump Administration Seeks a New European Security Framework
US President Donald Trump's administration has indicated that its peace initiative could extend beyond ending the war in Ukraine to creating a broader security arrangement involving Russia, Ukraine and European countries.
Kushner said Washington hoped to establish a new framework capable of maintaining stability across Europe for decades.
However, the proposal has raised concerns among European governments, which fear that negotiations could result in an agreement that rewards Russia for its invasion and weakens the security of neighbouring countries.
Ukraine has warned against any arrangement that resembles a division of Europe into competing spheres of influence, drawing comparisons with the post-Second World War agreements that shaped the continent's political order.
Moscow, meanwhile, has argued that the conflict cannot be resolved without addressing what it describes as wider European security concerns.
The United States is therefore attempting to balance several competing priorities: ending the fighting, securing Ukraine's future, addressing Russia's demands and maintaining cooperation with European allies.
Fighting Continues Despite Diplomatic Efforts
While negotiators were meeting in Abu Dhabi, military operations continued on the battlefield.
Russian forces maintained attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other targets, while Ukraine continued launching drone operations against facilities inside Russia.
Reports from Ukrainian authorities indicated that Russian strikes had damaged infrastructure and disrupted electricity and heating supplies in parts of the country.
Russian authorities also reported Ukrainian drone attacks against locations inside Russia.
The continuing attacks underline the difficulty of achieving a ceasefire while both sides remain committed to military operations and maintain sharply different expectations about the outcome of negotiations.
The war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has caused extensive destruction, displaced millions of people and created serious economic and humanitarian consequences across the region.
What Happens Next?
The planned meetings between the American envoys and the two presidents could provide an important indication of whether the latest diplomatic initiative can produce meaningful progress.
The meeting with Putin in Moscow is expected to focus on the proposals discussed in Abu Dhabi, including territorial disagreements, security guarantees and the possible involvement of European representatives.
The subsequent meeting with Zelenskyy in Dublin will provide Washington with an opportunity to brief Ukraine's leadership and discuss the next stages of the negotiations.
However, the proposed prisoner exchange remains one of the clearest immediate achievements, while a comprehensive peace agreement is still uncertain.
The most difficult questions remain unresolved: whether Russia will accept a ceasefire without obtaining its territorial demands, what security guarantees Ukraine will receive, and how European countries will participate in shaping the continent's future security arrangements.
For now, the Abu Dhabi negotiations have reopened an important diplomatic channel between Moscow and Kyiv, but the success of the American initiative will depend on whether the two governments are prepared to make compromises on the issues that have kept the war going.
The upcoming meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy could determine whether the latest peace effort gains momentum or becomes another round of negotiations without a lasting breakthrough.