Zelensky Says Ukraine Peace Talks Make Progress as Negotiations Continue

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the first day of renewed peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia as constructive, expressing hope that the discussions would help move efforts to end the war forward.

The talks, mediated by the United States, began on Tuesday, November 10, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, bringing together Ukrainian and Russian delegations for their first trilateral negotiations since February.

Zelensky said his negotiating team had briefed him on the discussions, which focused on humanitarian issues, the release of prisoners of war, security guarantees for Ukraine and possible measures to de-escalate the conflict.

In a statement shared on social media, the Ukrainian president described the meeting as “constructive and quite substantive”, adding that the release of prisoners remained a priority for Kyiv.

He also said the delegations examined the details of security guarantees for Ukraine and the mechanisms needed to ensure that any future settlement would prevent another Russian invasion.

“We need real mechanisms to prevent any recurrence of the war,” Zelensky said, while confirming that discussions would continue on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian leader thanked Washington for organising the negotiations and the United Arab Emirates for providing a venue for the diplomatic engagement.

The negotiations are being led on the American side by President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Ukraine’s delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, head of the country’s Foreign Intelligence Service, while Russia’s team is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

Before the trilateral meeting, Ukrainian officials held discussions with representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission to coordinate positions on the negotiations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the discussions as very productive, although he cautioned that significant work remained before a comprehensive agreement could be reached.

Kushner also indicated that Washington believed the negotiations had helped narrow differences between the two sides, while calling for a broader security framework involving Russia, Ukraine and European countries.

Despite the positive descriptions of the opening session, major disagreements remain.

Russia has continued to demand that Ukraine surrender territory in the eastern Donbas region, abandon its ambition of joining NATO and accept restrictions on its military capabilities.

Kyiv has rejected territorial concessions and insists that any peace agreement must include credible long-term security guarantees to prevent further Russian aggression.

Ukraine has also pushed for an unconditional ceasefire as an initial step towards a wider settlement, while Moscow has maintained that a comprehensive agreement must address its broader security demands.

The renewed negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of continued fighting and Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Although Tuesday’s meeting did not produce an announced peace agreement, the resumption of direct negotiations represents another attempt by Washington to bridge differences between the two countries.

The delegations are expected to reconvene on Wednesday, November 11, as diplomatic efforts continue to find a possible path towards ending the war.