Vladimir Medinsky

European leaders agreed in Dublin on 13 Nov that Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and EU institutions will represent Europe in future Ukraine peace talks, according to European Council President Antonio Costa. Costa said Europe must speak with one clear voice. The Kremlin said Russia would welcome European participation only if those countries genuinely contribute to peace. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there is no need to discuss Europe's security architecture because Europe already has one. US negotiator Jared Kushner said he had begun talks with European partners on that architecture. Forty European countries signed a declaration in Dublin saying matters of European security should be decided with Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said US negotiators asked whether Kyiv would give up Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, the first time that link was raised in the talks. He said Kyiv would not cede territory, but would put any deal to a referendum if it came with a full security package. Zelenskyy also said Russian delegates at the Abu Dhabi talks claimed they lacked authority to agree an energy ceasefire, and that Ukraine and Russia are negotiating a prisoner swap of roughly 1,200 to 1,300 people per side. The EU said Germany, France, the UK and Poland would take part in future Ukraine peace talks.

Delegations from Ukraine, Russia and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on 10 Nov for their first US-brokered talks since February, lasting nearly four hours. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting very productive, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called it constructive and substantive. The sessions covered security guarantees, territorial questions and a wider European security framework. Reports say no breakthroughs emerged, and a second day of talks was scheduled for 11 Nov. Russian forces hold about one fifth of Ukraine.

Russian missile and air strikes hit energy facilities, a major Kyiv bridge and a kindergarten across Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said four of 36 ballistic missiles were intercepted, and authorities reported at least two killed and about a dozen wounded nationwide. In Dnipropetrovsk, about 600,000 people lost power on 9 Nov, according to Ukrainian authorities. Delegations from Ukraine, Russia and the United States begin US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since February. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will not agree to an immediate ceasefire.