US to Host Ukraine-Russia Talks in Abu Dhabi as Kherson Ceasefire Lapses
Negotiators will meet Nov. 10-11, while the first lady is set to host a White House meeting on a local ceasefire that ended this week.
The United States will host a new round of three-way talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10 and 11, according to Reuters, CNBC and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The talks
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will lead Moscow’s delegation, the reports said. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions would focus on security arrangements, de-escalation and humanitarian issues.
Ahead of the meeting, US negotiators are holding talks this week in Brussels with European and NATO officials, according to CNBC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeated that no deal can be reached without Kyiv’s participation. “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said.
The Kremlin said it hopes to finalize plans for a meeting among Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, CNBC reported. No date has been announced.
Kherson ceasefire
First lady Melania Trump is scheduled to host a meeting at the White House on Thursday about a local ceasefire in the Kherson region, CNBC reported. The six-day truce, which covered areas around the town of Oleshky, expired on Monday.
Ukraine accused Russia of using the pause to reinforce its positions, according to the reports. Russia did not immediately respond to that accusation.
Attacks continue
Russia launched 310 drones at Ukraine overnight, including 81 jet-powered drones, Ukraine’s air force said, according to the Associated Press. Ukrainian forces said they shot down 272 of them. Strikes were recorded in 19 locations, and a shopping center in Odesa caught fire. One person was injured in the Rivne region.
Ukraine, for its part, struck a warehouse belonging to the online retailer Ozon in Russia’s Adygea region with drones, according to Russian officials.
The death toll from a Russian strike on a school in the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region has risen to 40, the AP and the Guardian reported. Search and recovery work has continued for days.
What happens next
The Abu Dhabi meeting is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to broker an end to the war, now in its fifth year. Previous rounds produced prisoner exchanges and limited local truces but no broad ceasefire. Whether the two sides narrow differences on security guarantees and territory will determine whether a leaders’ summit follows.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, CNBC.
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