Zelenskyy heard report from delegation on negotiations in UAE: prisoner exchange, security guarantees and European involvement
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that an agreement had been reached on preparations for a new prisoner exchange following the talks in Abu Dhabi.
The head of state announced this on Telegram, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"Our team has reported on the outcome of the meetings in Abu Dhabi with the American and Russian sides, as well as on the results of our coordination with our European partners present in the Emirates.
Firstly: an important humanitarian agreement has been reached regarding preparations for a new prisoner exchange.
Secondly: the parties discussed their views on security guarantees, and the first step must be to bring this war to an end and provide security guarantees for Ukraine.
"Thirdly: we discussed broader formats for future cooperation involving Europeans," he said.
Zelenskyy confirmed that US representatives will travel to Russia.
"Following this discussion, we will once again coordinate our positions and determine what the next possible steps might be. We are meeting with them tomorrow in Dublin. Ukraine’s priority is to bring the war to an end as quickly as possible through a dignified peace.
"We believe that Europe must be represented at every stage of practical diplomacy. It is essential that America takes a strong stance and exerts influence on the source of this war – namely, Russia – so that it brings its war to an end," the President emphasised.
Zelenskyy thanked the US, the UAE and his European friends.
Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi
- On 10 November, talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, mediated by the US, took place in the UAE. This is the first such meeting since February 2026.
- Ahead of its meeting with Russia, Ukraine held talks with representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission, which were also joined by US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- The Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, comprises Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Davyd Arakhamia, Chair of the Servant of the People parliamentary group; Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Head of the Office of the President; and Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence.
- The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Also taking part in the meeting in Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Russian Federation will be Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigalovsky, representatives of two departments of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, deputy foreign ministers of the Russian Federation.
- Meanwhile, NATO is represented in Abu Dhabi by Chief of Staff Jeffrey van Leuven, who is the chief strategic adviser to the Alliance’s Secretary-General, Mark Rutte.
- The second day of talks, 11 November, lasted just under two hours.
- Kushner announced that he would meet with Putin on 12 November, followed by a meeting with Zelenskyy.
