Jared Kushner

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that a large agreement with Russia is imminent, though he gave no details. The trilateral meeting of Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations is scheduled for 10 and 11 Nov in Abu Dhabi, the first such talks since February. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the proposed framework could be dangerous and said he has seen no sign Russia is ready to act. European leaders, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, stress that any deal must involve the EU. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will represent Washington, while Russia’s team is led by Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on 5 Nov to mark her role in brokering a six-day local ceasefire in Oleshky, southern Ukraine. The pause, which began on 27 Oct, allowed roads to be demined and residents to leave for Ukraine or Russia, and it expired on Sunday. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev thanked her on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, while Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets presented her with the Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class. Donald Trump said he met Dmitriev but not the Ukrainian delegation, and said a wider settlement was taking shape.

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November for talks mediated by the United States, according to the Kremlin and US envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions are set to cover post-war security, de-escalation and humanitarian steps. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, will lead Moscow's delegation. It would be the first US-mediated round since February. Separately, the Kremlin said it is working on a possible trilateral meeting of Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this month, though China has not yet decided whether to proceed.