US to mediate trilateral talks with Ukraine, Russia in Abu Dhabi next week, US envoy says

WASHINGTON: The United States will bring together delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Nov 10 and Nov 11 to discuss ending Moscow's war against Ukraine, post-war security agreements and de-escalation, US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday (Nov 2).

US negotiators have been seeking a breakthrough in the long-running conflict before the winter sets in. The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.

Witkoff, in a social media post, said the new Abu Dhabi discussions will cover "post-war security agreements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, and ending the war".

Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the lead US negotiators, are expected to represent the US in Abu Dhabi, a senior US official told Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a new round of trilateral talks after meeting Witkoff in St Petersburg two weeks ago in the latest US push to stop Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.

The US official said American negotiators will meet at the working level this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, the European Union and NATO to discuss "Ukraine’s security guarantees, Europe’s future security framework, and economic support for Ukraine’s reconstruction".

The official said the meetings build on recent discussions among the parties and "reflect President Trump’s continued efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine".

Ukraine and Russia remain far apart when it comes to the terms of any possible peace deal, though Trump has recently intensified pressure on Ukraine to strike some kind of agreement.