Zelensky discusses preparations for Ukraine-US-Russia talks with Witkoff and Kushner
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a 1.5-hour call with US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about preparations for working-level Ukraine-US-Russia talks scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. The parties discussed postwar security, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, air defense and continued bilateral cooperation, while the United States is expected to serve as mediator.
Key points
- Zelensky spoke with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for 1.5 hours on November 4.
- Trilateral working-level talks are scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
- The United States will serve as mediator in the working-level negotiations.
- Vladimir Medinsky will lead the Russian delegation.
- Ukraine has presented its negotiating proposals to the United States.
- The discussions covered Patriot interceptors, air defense and the Drone Deals format.
- Zelensky said postwar security guarantees must be “genuinely ironclad” and called territorial concessions a red line.
Why it matters
The call centered on preparations for direct working-level negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia, intended to lay groundwork for possible later talks between national leaders. Ukraine presented its proposals and sought a more intensive US role in ending the war, while air defense, Patriot interceptors, postwar security guarantees and European participation remained prominent issues.
What happened
On November 4, Zelensky held a 1.5-hour call with US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss preparations for trilateral working-level talks between Ukrainian, US and Russian teams. The talks are scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi, with the United States serving as mediator and Vladimir Medinsky leading the Russian delegation.
The participants discussed Ukraine's proposals, which Zelensky said had already been transmitted to the US side, and called for an intensive pace aimed at ending the war as quickly as possible. They also addressed air-defense support, including interceptors for Patriot systems, continued bilateral cooperation through formats such as Drone Deals, and the need for genuinely ironclad postwar security guarantees.
Zelensky said Ukraine remained ready for necessary steps but described territorial concessions as a red line that only leaders could discuss. He also insisted on European participation, while indicating that Ukraine would not derail the meeting if Washington insisted on a trilateral format. The expected agenda in Abu Dhabi includes postwar security, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and further steps toward peace.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes Zelensky's conditions and priorities: an intensive negotiating pace, proposals already transmitted to the United States, firm postwar security guarantees, territorial concessions as a red line, European participation, air defense and Patriot interceptors, and continued bilateral cooperation including Drone Deals. The reporting also highlights Ukraine's difficult electricity situation caused by Russian attacks and parallel discussions in Brussels on reconstruction and security guarantees.
How international sources describe it
The available reporting comes from Ukrainian media and agencies, so it does not provide a distinct international-source framing for comparison. It does relay statements attributed to US and Russian representatives, including confirmation of the Abu Dhabi schedule, the US mediating role, the expected agenda and Vladimir Medinsky's leadership of the Russian delegation.
Where reporting differs
An earlier Russian statement said the timing of the consultations would depend on the frontline situation and broader circumstances. The schedule subsequently confirmed by Witkoff and Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov set the talks for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
Background
Technical teams from Ukraine, the United States and Europe were holding consultations in Brussels. A November 4 meeting brought together Ukrainian and US teams with representatives of the EU, France, Britain, Germany, NATO, the World Bank and the global business community to discuss Ukraine's postwar reconstruction. A separate Brussels meeting on security guarantees for Ukraine was scheduled for November 5. The Abu Dhabi talks were described as working-level negotiations with the United States acting as mediator.