Abu Dhabi talks: Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. end four-hour first day with no deal, as prisoner swap and security guarantees are discussed

Russia, Ukraine and the United States ended the first day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 10 November, after about four hours of U.S.-mediated discussions, with no deal and with deep differences intact, according to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

Ukraine’s delegation was led by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, and Russia’s by its chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, who was joined by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. The U.S. side was represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Volodymyr Zelensky were not in the room.

Before the three-way session, Ukraine met the U.S. envoys and representatives of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission, AP reported. Russia objected to European participation in the trilateral format but said EU representatives could join later. Our earlier report covered the opening of the round: Abu Dhabi: US-Russia-Ukraine talks begin – what Washington is asking Moscow for on Kyiv’s security.

What was discussed

Zelensky called the talks “constructive and quite substantive” and said they covered humanitarian questions, including prisoner exchanges, the return of civilians held in captivity and children taken from Ukraine, as well as security guarantees. An anonymous senior Ukrainian official told AP that a large-scale prisoner swap was on the table, with details to be worked out in the coming days.

A U.S. official quoted by Al Jazeera said a possible defence commitment modelled on NATO’s Article 5 was among the topics, and that any territorial agreement would most likely come last. Kushner said there were “some good ideas how to bridge” the gaps.

Rubio called the meeting “very productive” but cautioned that it was “not like something that’s on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours.”

Positions remain far apart

According to AP, Moscow wants Ukraine to withdraw from four annexed regions it has not fully captured, to give up its NATO bid and to accept military limits, and it opposes a general ceasefire. Kyiv rejects ceding territory and military limits, calls for an immediate ceasefire and wants a direct meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, an idea Putin has rejected. Russia said it saw no place for Europeans in the talks with Ukraine and the U.S., Al Jazeera reported.

What happens next

A second day of talks was scheduled for Wednesday, 11 November, and the prisoner-swap details are to be settled in the coming days. For the wider diplomatic picture, including the UN Security Council debate on the eve of the talks, see UN Security Council on Ukraine: 328 civilians killed in September, Moscow and Kyiv trade accusations before Abu Dhabi talks.