Kyiv proposes Nov. 3 start for Abu Dhabi talks

Ukrainian and American officials are pressing Russia to begin trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 3, a date one week earlier than the current tentative schedule. As of the evening of October 25, Moscow had not confirmed the change. The Ukrainian team aims to have the negotiations underway before the mid-December period when utility outages become most acute for civilians.

The initial plan, driven by the US congressional calendar, set the talks to begin on November 10, following the midterm elections. Kyiv and Washington are now working to convince their Russian counterparts to accelerate the timeline. A source in President Zelenskyy’s team noted that every week in December carries weight for the population. The source stated, "When you have no power, water or heating, every single day plays a role."

Beyond the date, Ukraine is pushing for a European representative to join the table. Russian officials have expressed reluctance to seat Europeans during the first session. However, the Ukrainian delegation intends to bring a European envoy to Abu Dhabi to brief them in real time. A source close to the negotiation team explained that the Europeans currently lack a designated representative with a mandate to make decisions. They are currently operating in a signal-receiving mode.

Over the last two meetings, an EU representative has emerged in the form of Björn Seibert. He serves as the Head of Cabinet and is the closest aide to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Ukrainian side has persistently sought to involve European partners, despite opposition from both Russia and, at times, the United States. Sources indicate that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff previously conveyed to Vladimir Putin the idea of discussing a new security model, and Putin allegedly agreed to the concept.

Ukrainian officials do not expect a breakthrough at the first meeting. They anticipate that substantive agreements will require at least several rounds of discussion. A member of Zelenskyy's team who has participated in previous negotiations said new delegations will need time to adjust. Substantive work is expected to begin at the second meeting, with real decisions potentially emerging around the third session.

The Ukrainian proposal also shifts the initial focus away from specific territorial swaps. Instead of debating which villages belong to whom, Kyiv wants to first define the overall structure of peace after the war ends. A source close to the team emphasized the need to present a clear picture of Ukraine's protection and its future cooperation with NATO. The source added that trust in US President Donald Trump in Ukraine is only 6% higher than trust in Putin, meaning the country will not rely solely on American assurances.

Davyd Arakhamiia, the leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, communicated a specific test to the Americans. He said the final peace configuration must be acceptable to the residents of Kharkiv and Dnipro. Arakhamiia argued that if people in those regions look at the peace formula and accept it, the effort will be a success. He noted that these regions are next after Donbas in the potential negotiation sequence.

Russian aide Yuri Ushakov has stated that Russia is ready to resume trilateral negotiations after November 4. Zelenskyy has previously declared that Ukraine will not accept limits on the size of its Armed Forces or a neutral status in any deal. US government sources indicate the talks could take place in either Abu Dhabi or Switzerland, with Abu Dhabi remaining the primary venue for discussion.