Kyiv seeks Nov. 3 Abu Dhabi start

Ukraine is pressing the United States and Russia to move the start date of trilateral peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi forward by one week to November 3. The talks were previously scheduled to begin on November 10, following the US congressional midterm elections. Kyiv aims to secure a written agreement from Moscow by the evening of October 25.

A source close to the Ukrainian negotiation team stated that the shift is driven by the approaching winter season. The source noted that in December, every week becomes critical because many residents lack power, water, or heating. The Ukrainian side argues that the first meeting will likely serve as an introductory session where new delegations familiarize themselves with one another. Substantive work is expected to begin at the second meeting, with potential decisions emerging around the third round.

Kyiv is also advocating for the inclusion of an EU representative in the talks. Russian officials have expressed a preference to exclude European representatives from the initial sessions. However, the Ukrainian team plans to brief European envoys in real time during the Abu Dhabi meetings. Currently, European envoys operate without a designated mandate to make decisions, functioning primarily in a signal-receiving mode. Björn Seibert, Head of Cabinet to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has emerged as a likely EU representative for the discussions.

A member of President Zelenskyy’s team indicated that the new delegations will need time to adjust to the process. The team anticipates updates to the composition of the groups, meaning the first meeting will focus on mutual acquaintance. The Ukrainian side proposes shifting the initial focus from territorial details to a broader vision of post-war security. This approach includes defining how Ukraine will be protected and how it will cooperate with NATO, rather than debating specific village boundaries immediately.

Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, told American officials that the final peace configuration must be acceptable to residents of Kharkiv and Dnipro. He argued that if people in these regions, which are next in line after Donbas, agree to the formula, it represents genuine progress. A source from the President’s Office added that Russian officials still believe they can weaken Ukraine during the winter months. The Ukrainian side maintains that trust in US President Trump is only 6% higher than trust in Russian President Putin, meaning Kyiv will not rely solely on verbal assurances.

Russian aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Russia is ready to resume trilateral negotiations after November 4. US government sources indicated that the next round of talks could take place in either Abu Dhabi or Switzerland. President Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine will not agree to limits on its military size or to neutral status in any potential peace deal.