On November 10, Russia, the United States and Ukraine opened a new round of talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on ways to pursue a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The first day lasted nearly four hours. Differences over territory, security guarantees and other core issues remained unresolved. The US side sought to link a ceasefire to restructuring a pan-European security architecture. The Russian side welcomed that approach, while Ukraine and a number of European countries were deeply uneasy. Russia and Ukraine continued to attack one another.
This article is a rewrite of reporting published on November 11, 2026 by The Paper’s News Distiller. Original: The Paper.
Why the talks are treated as significant
The Paper said the meeting was the first face-to-face high-level contact among the United States, Russia and Ukraine since negotiations in Geneva stalled in February 2026, a gap of nine months. It said Washington is tying a longer-term redesign of Europe’s security architecture to the ceasefire talks, which bears on Ukraine’s postwar security arrangements and on the defense baseline of the European continent.
Who took part
The November 10 meeting was chaired by US presidential envoys Kushner and Witkoff. Russia’s chief representative, presidential aide Medinsky, and Ukrainian delegation leader Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, held about four hours of closed-door talks. US Secretary of State Rubio and Ukrainian President Zelensky did not attend.
Before the main talks, the Ukrainian delegation consulted representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission. They issued a joint statement stressing that any arrangement must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and independent decision-making.
The Paper described overlapping pressures around the renewed contact. It said President Trump’s Republican Party was set back in the midterm elections, that Democrats will take over Congress in January 2027, and that US negotiator Kushner and others may be investigated. It said Russia is under wartime economic pressure, while Ukraine faces strikes on energy infrastructure, winter heating pressure and the consumption of air-defense resources.
How Washington is framing security
Trump has announced that he is preparing a major agreement on European security and that “the scope involved will go far beyond Ukraine.” Kushner said the United States hopes to “establish a new security framework” among Ukraine, Russia and Europe in order to ensure “peace for decades or even centuries.”
According to The Washington Post, as cited by The Paper, Kushner is considering the NATO–Russia Council created after the Cold War as a reference model for future security arrangements and as a way to restore security dialogue between Russia and the West. Witkoff and Kushner favor discussing ceasefire arrangements and Europe’s long-term security at the same time.
The report said many European countries fear the United States and Russia could reach a deal that bypasses Europe, give Russia a say in reshaping spheres of influence in Eastern Europe, and weaken the post-Cold War European security order.
Disagreement over what should come first
Rubio called the talks “very productive” but said patience was needed. He said much work remained and that this was “not something to be resolved within 24 hours.”
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said it was “very wise” to set clear parameters for a future security architecture first and only then address the actual Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zelensky was reserved about the new security-architecture proposal. He said: “We are all very cautious about this issue, because no one is really 100 percent clear about what they want. Everyone is willing to talk. First, stop the war in Ukraine. Second, guarantee Ukraine’s security. Third, perhaps there can be dialogue on European and even global security.”
European Commission President von der Leyen said: “Only after a ceasefire in Ukraine is achieved can any meaningful discussion of a European security architecture take place.”
Strikes reported the same night
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces launched 162 drones and one ballistic missile on the night of November 10, local time. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 155 Ukrainian drones in eight regions of Russia and in Crimea.
The deadlock
The Paper said the central impasse has not been broken. Russia demands that Ukraine fully withdraw from four regions Russia announced in 2022 that it had incorporated, and that Ukraine give up joining NATO. Ukraine firmly refuses to cede territory. Zelensky has questioned whether ceding the Donbas would bring real peace and has said he believes Russia would return within the next several years.
The report said Europe is highly alert to any change in the existing security order. It said the US move to restructure security relations between Russia and Europe breaks with the post-Cold War defense consensus, and that European allies remain wary of defense concessions Washington might offer Russia. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stressed that existing international agreements already cover sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that the problem is Russia’s failure to comply with them.
What the report says to watch
The talks entered a second day on November 11, with further consultation expected on security guarantees and unresolved details.
The Paper said open questions include whether the United States will follow through on Rubio’s statement that European partners would later sit formally at the negotiating table, and whether a format involving the United States, Russia, Europe and Ukraine will take shape. It also pointed to US politics: Trump’s idea that Ukraine might be forced to cede territory or “change the map,” and the policy backlash and contest over military aid that could follow once Democrats control Congress again.
