Answer in brief
The US says it will mediate working-level talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November 2026. The agenda is post-war security, de-escalation and humanitarian steps. Reports of the announcement carry no official Russian or Ukrainian confirmation of those exact dates, as of 3 November 2026.
Witkoff's announcement of working-level talks on 10–11 November
The United States says it will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November 2026. US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the dates on Monday 2 November in a post on X, as quoted by Fox News. Yahoo Noticias describes technical-level talks, not a leaders' summit.
Witkoff listed post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and next steps toward peace. A senior US official told Reuters that Witkoff and Jared Kushner are the main US negotiators, and Yahoo Noticias adds that Washington wants progress before winter.
What Moscow and Kyiv said about the timing
Reports of the announcement carry no official Russian or Ukrainian statement on the 10–11 November dates. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 23 October that a round was planned for the first half of November, according to Al Jazeera, and on 27 October that no date was set, according to APA. APA adds that Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the meeting preliminary and said expectations should not be high. Volodymyr Zelensky said on 28 October that he hoped for a date between 6 and 10 November, UNN reported.
The end of the Oleshky pause and the cyberattack accusations
France 24 reported on 2 November that the six-day pause in fighting around Oleshky, in the Kherson region, had ended, and that about 800 people were evacuated. Ukraine's General Staff said Russia used the pause to rotate troops, while Russia said it went as planned. Moscow and Kyiv also accuse each other of cyberattacks that triggered false public warnings of nuclear and chemical attacks; France 24 gives no further detail.
What the earlier rounds produced and what each side has demanded
The first two rounds of three-way talks between Russian, Ukrainian and US officials were held in Abu Dhabi in early 2026 and produced little notable progress, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe. France 24 notes that the last US-mediated talks were in February, before the US and Israel launched a war against Iran, and Al Jazeera says the process lapsed during that war.
Al Jazeera reports that Russia demands, among other things, that Ukraine hand over large parts of its territory and agree not to join NATO. Zelensky said any deal needs strong security guarantees and ten years of funding for Ukraine's army. These are positions as reported, not terms agreed for November.
What the record says about a failed round
No official has published a plan for a failed round, and nobody knows yet what would follow. Precedent is thin. Zelensky said on 23 October that the meeting depends entirely on Russia and that talks planned for October did not take place, according to United24 Media. The next dated event is 10 November 2026; confirmation of delegations by the Kremlin and Kyiv is the thing to watch.
Questions and answers
When and where are the Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi?
The US says 10 and 11 November 2026 in Abu Dhabi, mediated by Washington at working level. Ukraine had said it would attend a round in the first half of November; the exact dates were not confirmed by either side in the reports available on 3 November.
Who will take part in the Abu Dhabi talks?
A senior US official told Reuters that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are the main US negotiators. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations had not been named as of 3 November 2026.
What happens if the Abu Dhabi talks fail?
No official has said, and nobody knows yet. Precedent: earlier US-mediated rounds this year made little progress and lapsed, and a meeting planned for October did not take place, according to Zelensky.