Madar (International) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, that he hopes upcoming US-mediated talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi will lead to a three-way meeting of leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al Jazeera English reported, citing AFP and DPA.
Speaking to reporters in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said the adviser-level talks, set for November 10 and 11, were part of a broader diplomatic push to end the war. "We are counting on the fact that work in this format and our other diplomatic steps will open the way to a trilateral format at the level of leaders," he said.
Merz said it was "important that Russia finally and seriously engages in negotiations about a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement", adding: "I do not see that happening so far." Zelenskyy's visit was not announced in advance for security reasons; he said diplomatic coordination, air defences and support for Ukraine's energy sector topped the agenda.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the new round of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US on Monday, saying they would focus on "post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation would attend, led as before by former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, the TASS news agency reported.
The preparations follow a local ceasefire overseen last week by Russian and Ukrainian human rights ombudsmen in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to evacuate residents and deliver aid, in a mission brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. Putin and Zelenskyy have had no direct contact since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
European governments are unlikely to be at the table in Abu Dhabi. US envoys are instead due to meet representatives of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, NATO and the European Union in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs an additional 70 billion euros ($77.5bn) from European countries next year.
