Zelenskiy says Ukraine, Russia and US agree to technical peace talks in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators had agreed to hold technical-level peace discussions in Abu Dhabi during November’s first half. He expressed hope that the three countries’ leaders would meet afterwards.

Diplomatic efforts and security requirements

Addressing the Hudson Institute think tank by video, Zelenskiy said he wanted the discussions held as soon as possible within that timeframe. Their prospects would depend heavily on Russia, he said, pointing out that a comparable meeting anticipated this month had failed to take place.

Zelenskiy said he had spoken on Friday with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff following their meeting earlier in the week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Any peace settlement would require robust guarantees for Ukraine’s security and funding to sustain its army over 10 years, the Ukrainian president said.

He called for diplomacy to continue towards a ceasefire and an end to the war, which is in its fifth year. Europe should participate in the negotiations, he added, stressing that a subsequent meeting between national leaders was critical.

Communications problems and interceptor delays

Zelenskiy also said Ukraine’s armed forces continued to face difficulties accessing Starlink communications systems, despite US assurances that speed restrictions had been lifted.

He said restrictions affecting both Starlink and Starshield remained in place and service speeds had not recovered. His account contradicted US President Donald Trump’s statement that both services had been restored in full.

Ukraine was also still awaiting a previously agreed delivery of air defence interceptors, Zelenskiy said. The delay was making defensive operations more difficult as Russian forces carried out large-scale drone and missile attacks on an almost daily basis.