Two days of talks in Abu Dhabi ended on November 11 without an agreement on the central conditions for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. The delegations offered cautious assessments of possible further progress but disclosed no compromise on territory or the shape of postwar security. Radio Svoboda reported the outcome on Wednesday, November 11.

The first session lasted about four hours, while the second ran for just over an hour. The parties announced a large prisoner exchange as the meeting’s sole concrete result. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said a basis for additional work had been established, while Ukrainian delegate Davyd Arakhamia said the discussion became more productive after US mediators focused it on the postwar future of both countries.

Kyiv and Moscow remained divided over the sequence and scope of negotiations. Ukraine argues that the war must be stopped before a new European security framework is considered. Russia wants that framework to dominate the agenda and continues to treat control of the entire Donbas as a condition for a settlement rather than a negotiable issue. President Volodymyr Zelensky has also rejected vague security assurances that would resemble NATO protection without membership.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner said they intended to travel to Moscow on November 12 for further discussions with Vladimir Putin. A subsequent meeting with Zelensky was planned in Dublin, and Kushner said he would raise the prospect of bringing European countries more directly into the diplomatic process.