US floats Donbas-for-NATO swap in Ukraine peace talks; Zelenskyy rejects ceding territory
Summary
- US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia resumed in Abu Dhabi in November 2026, ending without a breakthrough but agreeing a large prisoner exchange.
- Zelenskyy says US negotiators for the first time floated Ukraine ceding parts of Donbas it controls in exchange for NATO membership, which he refused.
- He says he would put any package of security guarantees, military funding and reconstruction money to a national referendum, and rejects enshrined neutrality.
- Russia revived demands including NATO's rollback to 1997 positions, Finland leaving NATO, Baltic base removals and a humanitarian operation in Kostiantynivka.
- Zelenskyy warns a US-floated European security framework could weaken NATO and let Putin redraw borders, and should wait until after the war.
- EU leaders agreed Europe's team for future talks: EU institutions plus Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
Reactions
- Zelenskyy called Putin's Kostiantynivka 'humanitarian mission' proposal an absolutely primitive move to occupy the city and push toward Kramatorsk.
- Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen rejected the reported Russian demand that Finland leave NATO as absolutely outrageous.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned against walking into the traps Russia is setting in the peace talks.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe's security architecture already exists and need not be discussed with Russia.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Europe's security architecture will be determined by free Europe and NATO, not by Russia.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was open to European participation and would accept any representatives Europe chose to send.
Timeline newest first
Zelenskyy warns the US-floated European security framework could let Putin weaken NATO and seek the withdrawal of American troops from Europe.
Zelenskyy says US negotiators for the first time floated Ukraine withdrawing from parts of Donbas it controls in exchange for NATO membership, and he refused.
Putin proposed a temporary humanitarian mission in Kostiantynivka at his November 12 Moscow meeting with US envoys Kushner and Witkoff.
Russia claimed it captured Kostiantynivka; analyst Serhii Zhurets said Russian troops hold only its southwestern part.
Zelenskyy says the Abu Dhabi talks agreed a prisoner exchange of more than 1,000 people on each side, with numbers still under discussion.
Zelensky says the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi said it had no mandate on an energy ceasefire and told Ukraine to sort it out with Putin.
Zelensky says Putin personally rejected a proposed bilateral energy ceasefire after the Moscow talks with Witkoff and Kushner.
Finland rejected a reported Russian demand that it leave NATO as part of the Ukraine peace talks.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said negotiators in Abu Dhabi returned to the ideas of Moscow's December 2021 draft agreements.
Kaja Kallas warned Russia is setting traps in the peace talks and diverting attention from its aggression.
Russia revived its 2021 demand that NATO pull back to its 1997 borders and sought an end to Western arms for Ukraine in an unsigned paper at the talks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demanded the West document a pledge not to expand NATO.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Putin in Moscow on November 12 after the Abu Dhabi talks.
Trump said the sides are 'very close' to a deal a day before the talks began.
Trump said post-war Ukraine will have 'a little bit different shape'.
European officials, including French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot, said they would attend the Abu Dhabi talks despite Kremlin objections.
Sources newest first
- European security plan floated by U.S. would benefit Putin, Zelenskyy says | CBC News
An Associated Press report on CBC News says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a European security plan floated by the United States could play into Vladimir Putin's hands, letting Moscow weaken NATO and push to redraw Europe's borders, and he rejected any Ukrainian neutrality or territorial surrender. Ukrainian forces struck Russian oil facilities in Samara and St. Petersburg, and Zelenskyy accused SpaceX of restricting Starshield in occupied areas.
US suggested Ukraine cede parts of Donbas to Russia to become part of NATOAl Jazeera reports that Zelenskyy says US negotiators floated ceding parts of Donbas — areas Russia does not control — in exchange for NATO membership, the first time the link has been raised; he refused to cede territory but might put a deal with security guarantees and reconstruction funds to a referendum. EU leaders agreed Europe's peace-talks team would include Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, while Russia and Ukraine reported overnight attacks.
Putin's Kostiantynivka proposal aims to seize city, push toward Kramatorsk, Zelensky saysThe Kyiv Independent reports that Vladimir Putin proposed a temporary "humanitarian mission" in Kostiantynivka at a November 12, 2026, Moscow meeting with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and that Volodymyr Zelensky calls it an absolutely primitive move that would let Russia enter and occupy the city before pushing toward Kramatorsk. Among the day's other news: Ukrainian long-range strikes on a Russian oil hub and military airbase, Russian attacks that killed at least seven people across Ukraine, France's seizure of oligarch Zhevago's $40 million Paris mansion, and the FAA's first nationwide ground stop since January 2023.
Putin has new plan for Ukraine’s fortress city — and he may be counting on Trump to make it happen, expert says - Euromaidan PressEuromaidan Press reports Moscow has announced the capture of Kostiantynivka, a fortress city holding back Russia's occupation of Donetsk Oblast since 2014, but Defense Express director Serhii Zhurets says Russian troops are only in its southwest and the claim fits a pattern of captures that don't match the front. He says Putin's proposed "humanitarian operation," modeled on occupied Oleshky, is absolutely unacceptable and that Russia is leaning on Trump's influence to pressure Ukraine out, while adviser Dmytro Lytvyn says Oleshky shows what Russia intends.
Russia will not shape security architecture of free Europe, Canadian PM Carney says, as Moscow floats separate non-aggression pacts with NATO countries and return to 1997 lines - Euromaidan PressEuromaidan Press reports Canadian PM Mark Carney's insistence that free Europe and NATO, not Russia, will set the continent's security architecture, as Moscow floats separate non-aggression pacts with individual NATO countries and a return to NATO's 1997 positions. Canada has sanctioned Russia and banned athletes competing under the Russian or Belarusian flag, and Carney says no NATO member will ever be abandoned.
US floats NATO membership for Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
ABC reports that Zelenskyy says US negotiators floated Ukraine joining NATO in exchange for withdrawing from Donbas, the first time membership has been linked to territorial concessions, though Kyiv is not ready to concede territory. US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi ended without a breakthrough, and European leaders agreed a negotiating team.
US floated idea of Ukraine swapping land for NATO membership, Zelensky says | CNNcnn.com· 9h
President Volodymyr Zelensky says US negotiators floated the idea of Ukraine ceding the Donbas to Russia in exchange for NATO membership for the first time at recent talks, stressing Ukraine would not give up territory but would put a full security package to the public. US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi — the first between Ukraine and Russia in months, mediated by Trump envoys — ended without a major breakthrough, though Zelensky and Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meetings constructive.
EN DIRECT, guerre en Ukraine : Volodymyr Zelensky affirme que les Etats-Unis ont évoqué des concessions territoriales en échange d’une adhésion à l’OTANLe Monde's live blog on the war in Ukraine leads with Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that the United States, for the first time, raised ceding Ukrainian territory in exchange for NATO membership after peace talks in Abu Dhabi, where American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met him in Dublin on 12 November. The blog also covers Poland suspending its PURL contributions, the release on bail of SBU general Serhiy Douka in a corruption case, Zelensky's refusal to enshrine neutrality or withdraw from the Donbass, and the planned Trump-Putin-Xi summit in Shenzhen on 19 November.
U.S. floated idea of Ukraine ceding Donbas for NATO membership, Zelenskyy sayscnbc.com· 9h
A CNBC article reports Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying U.S. negotiators floated Ukraine ceding Donbas in exchange for NATO membership after U.S.-brokered talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi ended without a breakthrough — the first time the issue was raised, he says. Kyiv is not ready to concede territory but would put it to a referendum with security guarantees, and he dismisses Putin's proposed Kostiantynivka ceasefire, citing a 1,000-person prisoner exchange and Europe being given a seat at future talks.
Three killed in Russia as Ukraine claims US floated NATO membership optionAl Jazeera and Reuters report that Zelenskyy said US negotiators asked at the Abu Dhabi talks whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, a trade he rejects but might put to a referendum with firm security guarantees. Russian authorities say a Ukrainian drone attack killed a family of three in Belgorod.
Zelenskyy says a new European security framework floated by US could benefit Putin
apnews.com· 11h
An AP News report says Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a new European security framework floated by the US could benefit Vladimir Putin, weakening NATO and reopening border questions, and urged that any changes wait until after the war ends. He also cited Abu Dhabi ceasefire talks, a proposed 1,200–1,300 prisoner exchange, Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian strikes on the Samara oil pipeline station, and restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield system in occupied territory.
US proposed Donbas swap for NATO membership - Zelenskyrte.ie· 11h
An rte.ie news report says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims the United States proposed Ukraine cede land to Russia in exchange for joining NATO, the first time the Donbas withdrawal question was raised, and says he will put any western security guarantees to Ukrainian society. EU leaders meeting in Dublin agreed Europe would be represented by the E5 — Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland — and EU institutions at peace talks so far limited to Russian, Ukrainian and US officials, who met in Abu Dhabi in November 2026.
“Sort this out with Putin.” Zelenskyy Reveals Russia’s Reply on a Ceasefire Negotiationsunited24media.com· 11h
At a briefing for Ukrainian and foreign journalists, Zelenskyy revealed that when Kyiv proposed an energy-infrastructure truce in the Abu Dhabi talks, Russia's delegation said it lacked a mandate and to "sort this out with Putin," while a record 1,200–1,300-per-side prisoner exchange was agreed. He also flagged Starshield speed limits over occupied territory, security guarantees short of NATO Article 5, and Kostiantynivka's humanitarian missions as a ploy.
US has floated Ukraine ceding Donbas for Nato membership, Zelensky saysbbc.com· 12h
BBC News reports Volodymyr Zelensky saying US negotiators floated Ukraine withdrawing from the Donbas in exchange for Nato membership, the first time the trade-off has been raised. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow and Zelensky in Dublin; Zelensky says a deal with security guarantees and no military limits would go to a referendum, while the article notes ceding the Donbas would be a small concession in practical terms but symbolically significant.
Putin Rejects Energy Ceasefire as Zelensky Warns Over Starshield Speed CapsKyiv Post reports that Vladimir Putin rejected a proposed bilateral energy ceasefire after talks in Moscow with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and that Volodymyr Zelensky calls Putin's "humanitarian operation" plan for Kostiantynivka a military ploy aimed at Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Zelensky warns that a 161-km/h speed cap on Starshield in occupied territories degrades air defense and sounds political, prompting senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons to demand SpaceX preserve records and lawmakers Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith to condemn the limits.
Finland rejects reported Russian demand to leave NATO as part of peace talksPolitico reports that Finland has rejected a reported Russian demand to leave NATO as part of Ukraine peace talks, with Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen calling such matters "absolutely outrageous" to suggest and not up for negotiation. Citing Bild's report of a Russian proposal from talks in Abu Dhabi, the article says Bild describes demands including Finnish NATO exit, Baltic NATO base removals, and territory concessions, with unclear support from Putin, while Zelenskyy warns the American-proposed European security framework "can be dangerous."
Zelenskyy Says US Floats NATO for Ukraine in Exchange for Donbasbloomberg.com· 13h
A Bloomberg article reports that Volodymyr Zelenskyy says US peace envoys asked whether Ukraine would give up the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, a question the article reads as signaling a shift in Washington's tactics. The Trump administration is trying to broker a breakthrough in the talks it moderates as the war nears the end of its fifth year in February 2027.
Putin’s Ukraine peace plan: The prewar ultimatum, with interestA Newsweek article revisits the Kremlin's December 17, 2021 draft security agreements demanding a halt to NATO expansion and Ukraine's permanent exclusion from the alliance, demands the West refused before Russia invaded two months later. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says Russian negotiators in Abu Dhabi have returned to those drafts' ideas, while commenters argue over the state of Putin's army and American politics.
Russia is ‘setting traps’ in Ukraine talks, EU foreign policy chief warnsA Guardian report covers EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas's warning that Russia is "setting traps" in Ukraine peace talks, reviving hardline demands for a European security overhaul Moscow abandoned in 2021. After US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, European leaders at a Dublin summit agreed on a negotiating team of EU institutions plus the E5 countries, while Russia dismissed discussing with Europe.
Russia Revives Demand That NATO Retrench to Secure Ukraine DealA New York Times article reports that in closed-door talks with President Trump's envoys this week, Russia revived its 2021 demand that NATO pull back to its 1997 borders, in a unsigned paper that also seeks an end to Western arms for Ukraine. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow before debriefing Zelensky in Dublin, while European leaders like Poland's Donald Tusk rejected the terms as nonstarters.
Europe to send a diplomat team to Ukraine talks as leaders push for a voicenbcnews.com· 26h
An Associated Press article on NBC News reports that, after a summit on avoiding exclusion from U.S.-led Ukraine peace talks, European Council President Antonio Costa says Europe will send a team of diplomats — EU officials plus the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Poland — to the next round. Leaders fear being sidelined as Washington and Moscow negotiate; Macron, Zelenskyy, Kushner, Tusk, Merz, Meloni, Kallas and Peskov weigh in on who should speak for Europe, with Putin due to meet Trump in Beijing.
Bloomberg: Путин поставил сокращение НАТО условием для переговоров с США по Украине - Русская служба The Moscow TimesThe Moscow Times's Russian service, citing Bloomberg, reports that Moscow has made rolling NATO back to its former borders — a revised European security architecture — a precondition for US-mediated talks on Ukraine, and that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demands the West "document" a pledge not to expand the alliance. Bloomberg says some leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, privately favor at least beginning such talks, a prospect border states sharply reject, while Bild reports Russia demanded Finland leave NATO and that Helsinki's defense minister said such things are not subject to discussion.
Kushner: Russia has agreed to include Europe in Ukraine war talksthehill.com· 30h
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner says Russia has agreed to include Europe in direct negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, after three days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi where European diplomats stayed on the sidelines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Europe must first show its commitment to peace, while EU policy chief Kaja Kallas insists Europeans must be at the table and influencing the outcome.
Merz Says Germany Will Join Ukraine Peace Talks in Coming WeeksKyiv Post reports German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying Germany will take part in Ukraine peace talks in the weeks after Nov. 13, 2026, after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff mediated renewed negotiations. Merz says European leaders at a Dublin summit feared a "second Anchorage moment," and Zelensky calls the Abu Dhabi prisoner exchange, which could free over a thousand Ukrainians, a real result.
Putin's 5 Demands to Reshape Europe: Finland Out of NATO, Baltic Bases Shut Down, Donbas to RussiaKyiv Post reports Russia's far-reaching demands to end its war on Ukraine — Finland leaving NATO, NATO bases removed from the Baltic states, the rest of Donetsk and Luhansk handed over, Odesa and Mykolaiv demilitarized, and Moldova turned into a federation with Transnistria and Gagauzia — reportedly per BILD and Nasha Niva, with Putin reiterating to US envoys Witkoff and Kushner that no foreign troops may stay in Ukraine and the state border alone mark the line. Kremlin spokesman Peskov denied such conditions were put forward, while Kyiv Post notes it is unclear which proposals Putin supports and the ISW reads his stance as demanding all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Venäjä vaatii Suomea eroamaan Natosta, saksalaislehti Bild kertoo
yle.fi· 36h
Bild reports that Russian negotiators in Abu Dhabi peace talks have demanded Finland leave Nato and that Nato bases be banned from the Baltic states, citing a proposal from Putin's inner circle. Bild says Russia would keep occupied Ukrainian territories, demilitarize Odesa and Mykolaiv's ports, and make Moldova federal, offering to withdraw nuclear weapons from Belarus in return.
Putin Rejects Ukraine Peacekeepers, Revives NATO DemandsA Kyiv Post report says Vladimir Putin, meeting US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin on Nov. 12, 2026, rejected any foreign troops in Ukraine as "legitimate military targets," refused demilitarized zones, and revived Moscow's December 2021 ultimatums to roll back NATO. The Institute for the Study of War assesses he has not budged from maximal territorial and security demands, while the Coalition of the Willing began its KOALICJA 26.2 exercise testing a post-ceaseforce reassurance force and Zelensky said the next talks would focus on ceasefires.
Zelensky meets with Trump's envoys in Dublin after their summit with PutinThe Kyiv Independent reports that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met President Volodymyr Zelensky at a military base near Dublin on November 12, 2026, a day after U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi closed with no major breakthrough and a Kremlin meeting with Vladimir Putin. Kushner called the talks "very detailed and productive" and said Putin agreed to let Europe join the negotiations, while Zelensky forecast Europe's direct role in the next round and the largest prisoner exchange yet, alongside other news including a U.K. sanctions package targeting Russia's oil producers.
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner meet Putin in MoscowA Politico article reports that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 12 November 2026, after trilateral Russia–Ukraine–US talks in Abu Dhabi, where Kushner said he and Witkoff would try to win Europe a seat at the table. Per Russia's Tass and Interfax, the envoys discussed a proposed Ukraine-Russia prisoner exchange, Putin proposed a Kostiantynivka humanitarian operation like the October Oleshky evacuation, and the pair planned to brief Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.
Trump’s Yalta: Witkoff and Kushner get played yet again in Abu DhabiIn a Hill opinion column, Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet argue Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were outplayed by Russia at the Abu Dhabi peace talks, sidelining European allies and, in their view, putting NATO's future on the negotiating table. They trace Vladimir Putin's case against NATO to his 2021 essay on Russian-Ukrainian unity and quote Kaja Kallas saying the negotiators "have just been pretending that they negotiate."
Witkoff and Kushner arrive in MoscowEuronews reports that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, seeking to build on US-mediated talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi that yielded an agreement in principle on a prisoner-of-war exchange but left differences over territory and security guarantees. Kushner says the meeting will seek Moscow's blessing to bring Europeans into the process, while Russian officials including Sergei Lavrov and Vladimir Medinsky signal Moscow's demands remain maximalist, which Euronews reads as Moscow staying unwilling to compromise.
Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Moscow following Ukraine peace talks, Russian state media reportsThe Kyiv Independent reports that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow early on Nov. 12, per Russian state media, after two days of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi ended without a ceasefire; Kushner cited "some openings." The article also covers a Russian strike on an Odesa market that killed at least 4, a drone attack on the Omsk refinery, the ZELENET hack of Ukrinform, and a planned debrief with Zelensky in Ireland.
Zelensky Rejects US Pressure to Cede Donbas as Putin Talks BeginA Kyiv Post report covers President Zelensky's rejection of US pressure to cede Donbas, saying at a Dublin press conference that Ukraine will not surrender sovereign territory, while envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin. After two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi marked by significant differences, Zelensky doubts Moscow will respond constructively and urges concrete American security guarantees and an equal European voice in any settlement.
«Остаются существенные разногласия». Переговоры по Украине в ОАЭ закончились безрезультатно - Русская служба The Moscow TimesThe Russian service of The Moscow Times carries a Reuters report that trilateral talks on Ukraine between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi ended without significant results, with US envoy Jared Kushner calling territory the hardest issue and no Putin-Zelensky meeting agreed. Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky vowed Russia will settle for peace only on its own terms, and analyst Slawomir Debski warns the war will most likely continue.
Zelensky arrives in Dublin for European Political Community summit, expects a debrief from Witkoff, KushnerThe Kyiv Independent reports President Zelensky's arrival in Dublin for the European Political Community summit, where he expects a debrief from U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner after their Abu Dhabi peace talks with Russia, which ended without a breakthrough but produced what Ukraine's Umerov calls a large-scale prisoner exchange. The article describes Washington-led peace efforts as deadlocked over territory, with Moscow demanding Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas and a NATO ban.
Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi bring progress on prisoners but not on peaceIn the first US-brokered Russia–Ukraine talks since February in Abu Dhabi, led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the sides agreed to the war's largest prisoner exchange — over 1,000 each — but made little progress on peace, with the territorial dispute unresolved. Ukraine's David Arakhamia reported big progress on security guarantees; Russia's Vladimir Medinsky demanded peace on Moscow's terms and dismissed European envoys, while Ukraine struck the Ust-Luga energy port and Russia launched drones at Kyiv. Kushner, due in Moscow Thursday, urged Europe to pick a single representative for future talks.
US to seek Putin’s ‘blessing’ for Europe to join Ukraine talksPolitico reports that Jared Kushner, mediating Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, says he and Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to seek Vladimir Putin's approval for Europe to join the negotiations. Kushner says Putin seems receptive, calls the talks substantive and tough, and says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to what is likely the war's biggest prisoner exchange.
Ukraine Wants West to Fund 800,000-Strong Army for 10 Years After WarKyiv Post reports that Ukraine asked its Western allies to fund an 800,000-strong army for at least 10 years after the war, a request a senior Ukrainian official said was raised at trilateral talks with Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi — the first such negotiations in nearly nine months, opened by a 4.5-hour session. The proposal clashes with Moscow's longstanding demands, including 2022 limits of 85,000 troops, 342 tanks, and 40-kilometer missiles, while Zelensky, who calls the talks constructive, insists any deal carry concrete, congressionally approved military commitments.
Ukraine Rejects US Plan to Redraw Donbas Borders to Give Putin Symbolic VictoryIn a Kyiv Post article, Ukraine rejects a US proposal to redraw the Donetsk and Luhansk administrative borders to let Moscow claim the whole Donbas without conquering it, insisting it will never recognize Russian occupation de facto or de jure. Four-and-a-half-hour Abu Dhabi talks mediated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner focused on humanitarian issues and binding security guarantees.
Abu Dhabin neuvottelut käyntiin – Venäjän valtuuskunnan kokoonpano ei lupaa hyvää
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have begun talks in Abu Dhabi on post-war security guarantees, joined by US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and European advisers. Yle reports the Russian team, led by Putin aide Vladimir Medinski, includes figures ISW says have mainly stalled agreements, suggesting Moscow seeks no real compromise.
Ukraine, Russia, US resume trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi after 9-month pauseThe Kyiv Independent reports that Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. delegations resumed trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10, 2026, after a nine-month pause, with Rustem Umerov leading Kyiv's delegation and Vladimir Medinsky heading Moscow's. Kyiv hopes to discuss prisoner exchanges and a ceasefire, though territorial disputes remain a sticking point, and lawmaker David Arakhamia expects no first-round breakthrough.
US officials seek ‘final end’ to Russia-Ukraine war as Abu Dhabi talks beginThe Guardian reports that US officials opening trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi — the first substantive negotiations since February — seek a "final end" to the war, proposing a new security architecture and Ukraine guarantees similar to Nato's article 5. European officials worry Russia will stick to hardline Nato rollback demands and that Trump may concede too much.
Russia and Ukraine exchange strikes a day before U.S.-brokered talks are scheduled to beginAn AP article on pbs.org reports that Russia and Ukraine battered each other's power grids and oil refineries hours before U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, set for 10 November with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff mediating, after a glide bomb killed at least 55 at an aid center. Donald Trump says the sides are "very close" to a deal, while Sergey Lavrov says "collective security" tops the agenda and Ukraine's Rustem Umerov says European officials will hold separate coordination with Kyiv.
Trump says post-war Ukraine will have 'a little bit different shape'In a '60 Minutes' interview, Donald Trump says a Ukraine-Russia peace deal will be completed, that Ukraine will end up with "a little bit different shape", and that the war will end soon because of him, without detailing what he meant. Trilateral talks are set for 10-11 November 2026 in Abu Dhabi, with Kyiv and Moscow far apart on territorial concessions, NATO membership, and the security guarantees Ukraine calls essential.
Europe to join U.S.-brokered Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, defying Kremlin objectionsNPR reports that European officials, including French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot, will attend U.S.-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November 2026, defying Kremlin objections that the trilateral format had been agreed. Zelenskyy warned a deal could be dangerous, invoking Yalta, while Moscow fields a more senior delegation.
Europe will be represented at US-mediated Ukraine talks in Abu DhabiLe Monde reports that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says Europeans will be represented at the US-mediated Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, where France will ensure Europe's voice is heard — contrary to Russia's stance and despite European wariness of Washington's approach. Kushner said the US would consult European partners, seeking a broader European security architecture.
Zelensky Rejects New Europe-Russia Security FrameworkA Kyiv Post article reports President Zelensky rejecting Washington's proposed Europe-Russia security framework as dangerous, warning it risks a "Yalta 2.0" dividing the continent into spheres of influence, and refusing to cede territory. It also covers overnight missile strikes on Kyiv, US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, and Kaja Kallas's denial that Putin holds a veto over European security.
EU rejects Trump’s 'big beautiful' security deal with RussiaA Euronews report by Nela Heidner says European leaders have firmly rejected any US-Russia reshaping of Europe's security without them, after Donald Trump suggested a sweeping "big, beautiful agreement" with Moscow extending beyond Ukraine. Kaja Kallas insisted "Putin does not have a veto over European security," as US-led talks head to Abu Dhabi.
Background newest first
Hungarian authorities uncover millions hidden by former Orban officials in forests, warehousesThe Kyiv Independent reports Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said authorities recovered over $18 million in cash buried in forests and hidden in warehouses by allies of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, part of a criminal investigation into ex-minister Miklos Sesztak, and Polish Prime Minister Tusk mocked Orban's "creativity" on X. The article also covers Ukraine war news, including at least 7 killed in Russian attacks, Zelensky saying Starshield restrictions give Russia more room to strike and questioning Putin's Kostiantynivka "humanitarian mission" proposal, and a planned Trump-Putin-Xi summit that the White House says will not focus on Ukraine.
Kremlin confirms date of Trump-Xi-Putin meetingpravda.com.ua· 6h
European Pravda reports that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says a trilateral meeting of the US, Chinese and Russian leaders is set for Thursday 19 November in Shenzhen, on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The New York Post says the leaders will discuss preparations for a nuclear arms control agreement, while the Wall Street Journal reported in October that Vladimir Putin had proposed the meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Putin Makes a Fool of Trump, Again: Your Weekly SPIEGEL Recapsubstack.com· 8h
DER SPIEGEL's weekly recap by Charles Hawley covers US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff saying they believe Putin is ready for peace — which the outlet disputes, saying the Kremlin has instead presented its conditions and Putin is not ready for peace. Ukrainian media report 64 airstrikes, 220 guided bombs, and 4,844 kamikaze drones in 24 hours.
Ukraine hits key Russian oil hub, military airbase in latest long-range strikesThe Kyiv Independent reports Ukraine's General Staff claims of long-range strikes on the Samara oil facility, a key hub for the Urals export blend that accounts for up to half of Russia's oil exports, and the Lipetsk-2 airfield, which hosts Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 aircraft. Zelensky says Starshield restrictions partially extend to occupied territories and, accusing SpaceX of treating them as "not ours," adds that the US floated NATO membership in exchange for a withdrawal from Donbas, while at least 7 people were killed and 80 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Starshield Access Is Being Restricted Again, Zelensky SaysPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's Starshield access is being throttled again — speed limits of about 100 miles per hour over Russian-occupied territories are disrupting drone strikes and interceptor defenses. It is the second restriction in weeks, which SpaceX called false and blamed on U.S. government control of the system.
SpaceX not being honest about ‘political’ reasons for slowing Starshield, says ZelenskyyVolodymyr Zelenskyy tells the Guardian that SpaceX is not being honest about throttling Ukraine's Starshield system, calling speed limits that stop Ukrainian drones intercepting Russian Shahed drones and restrict mid-range strikes 'political' rather than 'technical'. In the Kyiv interview he also rejects ceding Donbas, dismisses Putin's Kostiantynivka 'humanitarian mission' offer as a ploy, and calls Moscow's revived demand for a pre-1997 Nato footprint alarming.
At least 7 killed, 80 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine; Zaporizhzhia among worst hitThe Kyiv Independent reports Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least seven civilians and injured 80, with Zaporizhzhia among the worst hit after Governor Ivan Fedorov said missiles struck a residential building, killing three including a child. It also covers Zelensky's claim that the US floated NATO membership for leaving Donbas and a planned Trump-Putin-Xi summit.
Denmark Pledges €665M in Defense and Energy Aid After Zelensky European TourThe Kyiv Post reports that Denmark pledged €645 million in defense aid and €20 million for energy support while the UK sanctioned Russia's oil sector, following Zelensky's visits to Denmark, Ireland, and other European partners to secure winter help. Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow for about 2.5 hours, and Witkoff says a new round of peace talks with European representatives could come within a week.
Nach tagelangen Ausfällen: US-Senatoren wollen Antworten zu Starlink in der Ukrainespiegel.de· 12h
A spiegel.de news article reports that Democratic US senators are demanding answers from SpaceX over days-long Starlink outages in Ukraine, asking who ordered the throttling of Starlink and Starshield and pressing SpaceX to preserve documents and reply by 30 November. SPIEGEL also reports that Russia, the US, and Ukraine are to take part in possible peace talks, while the Europeans' role remains partly unclear.
As Trump’s Envoys Met With Russia, Ukraine’s Starshield Drone Defenses Were Throttled AgainOlga Lautman's Substack article reports that Ukraine's Starshield drone defenses were restricted for the second time in under a month just as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi and then Moscow, while Russian drone and missile strikes knocked out power across eight Ukrainian regions. She links the throttling — which Zelenskyy says capped Starshield at 100 mph and which a Ukrainian official says degraded missions from 10% to total failure — to Trump's pressure on Ukraine to cede territory, noting that Senators Shaheen and Tillis and the Congressional Ukraine Caucus are demanding an investigation into who authorized it.
Were Steve Witkoff and Kushner really gifted matching Russia jackets?Newsweek's Brendan Cole examines whether U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were gifted matching red and white "Russia" puffer jackets during their Moscow visit, reporting that Russian state agency Tass deleted its claim and apologized that it could not be verified, with an image of the jackets judged 99 percent likely AI-manipulated. The envoys' Abu Dhabi trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine ended without breakthrough but with a prisoner exchange agreement, and Putin's post-meeting statement on a "demarcation line" led the Institute for the Study of War to say he would accept only a settlement giving Russia full control of four Ukrainian oblasts.
Russia Is Losing. So Why Is It Acting Like It Won?In an essay on hegemon.substack.com, Seva Gunitsky asks why Russia is making ever-grander demands while losing: at Abu Dhabi talks its delegation presented imaginary maps of captured Ukrainian towns, which Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff dismissed as fiction, even as its budget deficit grows and Michael Kofman judges the army having its worst year since early 2023. Gunitsky weighs four explanations, from Putin's information bubble to stalling, domestic costs of peace, and Russian hope of extracting more from Americans, and judges Washington's signals — pressure on Kyiv and talk of grand bargains — the likely decisive factor.
Ukraine claims record 3,000 Russian casualties in one day as war drags onAl Jazeera reports on Ukraine's claims of record Russian casualties — a reported 2,980 killed or wounded on 9 November 2026 and over 26,000 in November's first ten days — as US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held their first peace talks since February in Abu Dhabi. The article also covers Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries, missile plants and warships, and Kyiv's calls for stronger security guarantees.
Russia and Ukraine trade strikes as EU summit beginsRussia and Ukraine traded overnight strikes hours before an informal European Council summit in Dublin: Ukraine hit a major oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd region, sparking a fire, while Russia's missiles struck a medical facility in Kyiv. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Dublin about a peace settlement, and EU leaders are expected to discuss the war and who should speak for Europe at peace talks.
Ukraine war briefing: Europe to join negotiations, says Kushner, as Putin warns against peace keepersThe Guardian's war briefing reports Jared Kushner saying Ukraine and Russia have agreed to expand peace talks to include European countries, while Vladimir Putin warned against European peacekeeping troops and refused to soften territorial demands. Zelenskyy welcomed European participation but flagged US-imposed Starshield restrictions hitting the frontline, and drone strikes killed people on both sides.
NATO state lays "dragon's teeth" on 280-mile defense line to stop RussiaNewsweek reports that Latvia is installing concrete "dragon's teeth" and digging anti-tank trenches along its 280-mile border with Russia and Belarus as part of the Baltic Defense Line agreed by the three Baltic states, though swamps and forests mean the fortifications won't cover the whole frontier. The article also covers Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, Witkoff and Kushner's Moscow meetings, and disputed claims about Russia targeting NATO territory.
Russia keeps violating a major Cold War deal. Now Putin wants to revive itNewsweek's David Averre reports that Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's lead negotiator, told Kyiv and Washington representatives in Abu Dhabi that peace in Ukraine matters less than a comprehensive European security system, calling for a "new, modern Yalta and Potsdam imbued with the spirit of Helsinki." The article argues Russia has spent the past decade violating the 1975 Helsinki Final Act's core commitments, which Medinsky neglected to acknowledge, even as the Kremlin seeks its principles to underpin a new European security order.
Ukraine Hit By New ‘Systematic’ Starshield Restrictions, Says ZelenskyNewsweek reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim of fresh "systematic" restrictions on Ukraine's Starshield service, with soldiers reporting significant disruptions along the more than 700-mile frontline weeks after curbs to Starlink wreaked havoc on Ukrainian operations. Elon Musk denies imposing the constraints and says Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government, while envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow before a planned meeting with Zelensky in Dublin.
Støre avlyser møte med Zelenskyj på grunn av sykdom
nrk.no· 2d
NRK reports that Norwegian Prime Minister Støre canceled a planned meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyj in Dublin due to illness, after the two met at a Nordic working dinner outside Copenhagen hosted by Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen; a state secretary says there is no drama around the illness. The article also covers envoys Kushner and Witkoff meeting Putin in Moscow before flying on to Dublin, and Russian bombardment that has left nine Ukrainian regions partially without power.
Map shows how Ukraine war shifted since Putin said it's "coming to an end"Newsweek maps how little the Russia-Ukraine frontline changed in the six months since Putin said the war was "coming to an end," despite Ukrainian counterattacks around Kupyansk, Lyman, and the Fortress Belt that halted Russia's push into Dnipropetrovsk. Abu Dhabi talks produced only a prisoner-exchange agreement, with analysts noting no diplomatic movement on Russia's demand for Ukraine's Donbas withdrawal.
View: How the MAGA map crackedsemafor.com· 3d
Semafor's politics page centers on David Weigel's argument that the Trump coalition came apart in the November 2026 midterms, when Democrats won the House vote by 14 points, flipped seven gerrymandered North Carolina seats, and left Republicans unsure their map can be rebuilt. The page also follows the fallout from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's affair with a suspected Chinese spy, US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, Spain's housing strike, and Anthropic's looming IPO.
Russia launched deadly Ukraine attacks hours before start of Abu Dhabi talks – Europe liveThe Guardian's Europe live blog covers deadly Russian strikes across 10 Ukrainian regions hours before US-led trilateral talks open in Abu Dhabi, where Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead the American delegation alongside Ukrainian and Russian negotiators. Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Russia of intensifying attacks to pressure Kyiv, and the blog also reports a police officer's death in a backpack explosion in Oviedo and a Bulgarian highway pileup that killed at least 10.
The Kremlin hopes the U.S. election shake-up won't shift Trump's negotiations on UkraineAn AP report on PBS examines how the Kremlin, including spokesman Dmitry Peskov, played down the Republicans' 2026 midterm loss and voiced hope that Donald Trump's Ukraine peace efforts continue, with trilateral talks set for 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi. Observers split on the shift: some predict more Democratic support for Kyiv, while Russian officials forecast a more resolute Trump.
Why forcing Ukraine into a peace deal won’t workyoutube.com· 6d
In a video analysis, Anders Puck Nielsen argues that pressuring Ukraine to accept a peace deal rests on a false premise, since Putin's demands go well beyond Donbas — he wants the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, a neutral Ukraine, and a rollback of NATO. Nielsen says Ukraine has long accepted freezing the front line but needs ironclad security guarantees, and that no deal Putin would accept falls short of capitulation.
Trump’s Capitulation to Putin Is Undermining U.S. National SecurityIn an essay on his Substack, Michael McFaul argues that Donald Trump's second-term concessions to Vladimir Putin—ending aid to Ukraine, waiving new sanctions and tariffs, easing sanctions on Russian diesel, and restricting SpaceX's satellite service Ukraine relies on—have emboldened Putin without slowing his war. McFaul hopes a newly balanced Congress in 2027 will pass new military aid for Ukraine and bar business deals with Russian companies until the war ends.
