Ukraine pushes for Nov. 3 start to Abu Dhabi talks as winter looms

Ukrainian negotiators are urging the United States and Russia to begin a new round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi one week earlier than planned. The original schedule calls for a start date of November 10, following US congressional midterm elections. Kyiv and Washington are currently working to convince Moscow to shift the opening session to November 3. A source close to the Ukrainian negotiation team stated that the shift is driven by the approaching winter season, noting that every day counts when power, water, or heating systems fail.

The Ukrainian side also wants to seat a European Union representative at the table. Russia has signaled it does not want European observers present during the first meeting. However, the Ukrainian team plans to bring the EU delegate to Abu Dhabi to brief them in real time. The main obstacle is that the EU has not yet designated a specific representative with the mandate to make decisions. Current EU envoys can only observe and receive signals. Björn Seibert, the head of cabinet for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has emerged as a likely candidate for this role after the last two meetings.

As of the evening of October 25, Moscow had not confirmed a change to the date. A source in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team explained that the first meeting is not expected to produce a breakthrough. Instead, the initial session will serve as an opportunity for new delegations to familiarize themselves with one another. Substantive work is anticipated to begin at the second meeting, with potential real decisions emerging by the third round. The Ukrainian side proposes focusing on the broader shape of peace after the war rather than debating specific territorial exchanges immediately.

A source from the President's Office noted that Russian officials still believe they can break Ukraine during the winter. In response, Ukrainian officials are emphasizing the need for a security model that offers tangible guarantees. They point out that public trust in US President Donald Trump is only six percent higher than trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, meaning Ukrainians will not rely solely on American assurances. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff reportedly discussed a new security model with Putin, who allegedly agreed to the concept.

Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, told American counterparts 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 the formula suits them, it will be a genuine step forward. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader, stated that Russia is ready to resume trilateral negotiations after November 4. Zelenskyy previously said Ukraine will not accept limits on its armed forces or neutral status in any deal.