Ukrainian and Russian officials say negotiators from their countries and the United States plan to meet in Abu Dhabi in November for their first three-way session since February. In its October 27, 2026 report on proposed postwar business deals, the Financial Times said Washington hopes to make progress at those Abu Dhabi peace talks toward a possible settlement.
Where it stands: The round still had no announced start date as of Oct. 28. On Oct. 23, both Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the round was planned for the first half of November.
The business ideas the FT described are not settled. An unnamed US official said in the FT that any economic agreements would be “subject to a comprehensive peace framework that stops the killing in this brutal war; nothing is finalised.” The FT also noted that Putin “has not shown any indication he will moderate his hardline negotiating position.”
When are the Abu Dhabi peace talks?
No date had been announced as of Oct. 28. Kyiv and Moscow have both pointed to November, with Zelensky and Peskov naming the first half of the month, but other Russian statements have been reported with different windows.
Zelensky, speaking to the Hudson Institute by video, said: “The plan is to meet in the first half of November and as early as possible, of course, but we are ready to meet any day, even tomorrow.” Peskov told reporters the round was “planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi” and would “take place in a trilateral format.”
| Who | Timing given | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Zelensky, Oct. 23 | First half of November | Kyiv Independent |
| Dmitry Peskov, Oct. 23 | First half of November, in Abu Dhabi | RTÉ News |
| Yuri Ushakov, Oct. 21 | Possibly mid-November | Reuters via Al Jazeera |
| Vladimir Putin, Oct. 21 | After November 10 | CNN |
| Ushakov, per Kremlin transcript | Early November | CBS News |
| Unnamed sources | Next month, Abu Dhabi | Financial Times, Oct. 27 |
The venue has firmed up over the past week. On Oct. 21, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said only that the round “could take place in Abu Dhabi,” CNN reported. Two days later Peskov named the Emirati capital outright.
Why is this the first round since February?
Because the last attempt to restart trilateral talks fell through. The three sides met three times early this year, then stopped.
The first meeting, in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24, was, The National reported, “the first trilateral meeting since the start of the war.” A second Abu Dhabi round followed on Feb. 4-5 and produced a prisoner exchange, Anadolu Agency reported. The third was held in Geneva on Feb. 17-18, where Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky called the talks “difficult, but businesslike.” Zelensky said afterward there was progress on military questions such as ceasefire monitoring, but the political positions still differed.
Al Jazeera noted the February talks came “just days before the US and Israel launched their war against Iran.” The track then stalled. Zelensky said Ukraine had expected another trilateral meeting in October, “but it didn’t happen because the Russians came up with another reason not to meet.” On Oct. 8, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said: “There are currently no plans to hold talks in this format.” Our October talks roundup covers that stretch. Momentum returned after Steve Witkoff’s Oct. 21 meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, when Ushakov said Moscow was ready “in principle” to resume; we cover that meeting in our report on Witkoff’s notes.
What is on the agenda?
Security guarantees, according to the FT, which said the talks “will focus on possible security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine after the war ends.” Each side means something different by that.
Ushakov said the Kremlin wants to discuss a “security framework” for both countries once the conflict ends, CNN reported, without spelling out what Russia would demand. Zelensky set out Kyiv’s terms on Oct. 23: firm guarantees and “at least 10 years of international funding” for Ukraine’s armed forces before any lasting agreement, according to the Kyiv Post. “We need a big, big strong army, minimum ten years,” he said.
Zelensky also wants the process to climb a level. “We need to move from trilateral negotiations at the technical level to a meeting of leaders, because the key issues can only be resolved at that level,” he said.
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Has the US changed its position on Ukrainian territory?
The FT reports that it has, at least in tone. Washington previously linked future guarantees for Ukraine to territorial concessions, but “has since indicated it will not push Kyiv to surrender land at the negotiating table,” the paper said, citing two people briefed on the talks.
That account rests on the FT’s sources alone; we found no independent confirmation from other outlets as of October 28. The gap it would have to bridge is wide. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Oct. 8 that a negotiated end was out of reach because Russia insists on taking all of Donetsk Oblast without fighting, “a demand Kyiv has rejected,” the Kyiv Independent reported. The late-2025 US draft plan contained territorial clauses of its own; we lay them out in our guide to the 28-point plan.
How do business deals and sanctions fit into the talks?
They run on a parallel track that Kyiv wants kept in check. The FT reported that US and Russian officials have discussed postwar ventures, from oil to aviation, as incentives for Moscow, mostly without Ukraine in the room. Our full list of the reported proposals has the details.
Zelensky has warned against giving up leverage before the leaders meet. “I would not want us to approach the meeting of the three leaders – Ukraine, the United States, and Russia – having already lifted all sanctions against the Russian Federation,” he told the Kyiv Post. “Sanctions were imposed in response to aggression, not as a price for the mere opportunity to talk.” Earlier in October he answered Rubio: “You can’t, on the one hand, negotiate with Russia about future economic projects, and on the other, talk about a diplomatic impasse.”
The White House has made the opposite argument about sanctions. Defending Executive Order 14436, signed October 16, 2026, which waived new Graham Act sanctions, spokesperson Taylor Rogers said: “Enforcing the sanctions provisions now would impede ongoing U.S. efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.” Before Abu Dhabi, Zelensky said Ukraine, the US, the EU and NATO planned a broad meeting in Brussels during the week of Oct. 26 on security, guarantees and European integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Abu Dhabi peace talks?
There was no fixed date as of Oct. 28. Zelensky and Peskov both said on Oct. 23 that the round is planned for the first half of November. Other reports cited mid-November, early November and after November 10.
Who will take part in the Abu Dhabi talks?
The talks are trilateral, with negotiating teams from Ukraine, Russia and the United States, according to Zelensky and Peskov.
When did Ukraine and Russia last hold talks?
The last trilateral round was in Geneva on Feb. 17-18, 2026. It followed two rounds in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5, the second of which produced a prisoner swap.
Is the US pressuring Ukraine to give up land?
The FT reported, citing two people briefed on the talks, that Washington has signalled it will no longer press Ukraine to cede territory in the talks. Other outlets had not confirmed this as of October 28.
What will the Abu Dhabi talks focus on?
Postwar security guarantees for both countries are the main subject, according to the FT. Zelensky is seeking firm guarantees and long-term funding for Ukraine’s army; the Kremlin wants a security framework covering both countries.
Sources
- Washington discusses Russian deals for US oil majors in Ukraine peace talks — Financial Times, October 27, 2026
- Trilateral peace talks with Russia, US negotiators to begin in November, Zelensky says — The Kyiv Independent, October 23, 2026
- Trilateral talks on war to be held in November – Zelensky — RTÉ News, October 23, 2026
- Putin and Zelenskyy back three-way US peace talks on Ukraine — Reuters (via Al Jazeera), October 21, 2026
- Massive strikes hit Kyiv hours after Putin agrees to fresh peace talks — CNN (via ABC17), October 22, 2026
- Russia says Ukraine must make “necessary decisions” to end war as Witkoff meets Putin — CBS News, October 21, 2026
- 3rd round of US-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks conclude in Geneva — Anadolu Agency, February 18, 2026
- Territorial talks on the table at UAE meeting between Ukraine and Russia — The National, January 23, 2026
- What happened during Witkoff and Kushner’s latest meeting with Putin — Al Jazeera, October 21, 2026
- US, Russia confirm Trump’s latest Ukraine peace push is falling apart — The Kyiv Independent, October 8, 2026
- Zelensky Lays Out Ukraine’s Conditions for Lasting Peace — Kyiv Post, October 23, 2026
- Zelensky: Ukraine Offered US 3 Ways to Stop Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries — Kyiv Post, October 26, 2026
- Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — The White House, October 16, 2026
- Trump signs order waiving Graham Act sanctions on Russia, drawing backlash from some lawmakers and Zelenskyy — ABC News, October 17, 2026
This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.