Zelensky gives Witkoff and Kushner Ukraine's terms before Abu Dhabi talks

The Abu Dhabi session would be the first trilateral meeting between the three countries since February. For Ukrainians, the immediate stakes are air defence and security guarantees before winter. For Moscow, the issue is whether US pressure on Kyiv yields territorial concessions. No draft text is public. Neither capital has announced a pause in fighting. The outcome is open.

Kyiv sets out its list before the talks

Zelensky called the conversation "very detailed". He said Ukraine used it to hand Washington its own negotiating proposals. He added: "the pace of negotiations needs to be as intense as possible to end this war as quickly as possible".

Ukraine's list runs well past the battlefield. According to an official statement from the president's office, Kyiv wants Patriot interceptors for air defence and an expansion of the bilateral "Drone Deals" framework. It also wants the World Bank to join planning for security guarantees and post-war reconstruction. In Abu Dhabi the delegation also intends to raise strikes on energy infrastructure, the grain corridor, prisoner exchanges and a meeting of state leaders.

The air defence request is not abstract. Zelensky said in late October that Ukraine had received only 24 Patriot interceptors from the US over 90 days, against a need of about 350 a month.

On 30 October the State Department authorised a foreign military sale of 500 PAC-3 MSE missiles, with spare parts and logistics support, at an estimated $2.1 billion. Zelensky has warned that deliveries could take years.

Zelensky took the call while travelling to Madrid for the 30th Ibero-American summit. He was there at the invitation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Air defence and defence production are on his agenda there.

Who sits at the table

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the dates on 3 November, a day after Witkoff announced them. Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will lead the Russian delegation. A senior US official told Reuters to expect Witkoff and Kushner to represent Washington.

Witkoff described the agenda in a social media post as "post-war security agreements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, and ending the war". The last US-mediated trilateral round took place in February. That was before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran.

The gap that has not closed

Moscow wants Ukraine to give up territory it claims to have annexed. Kyiv rejects territorial concessions and wants firm security guarantees against a future Russian attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's position is unchanged. He said Russia cannot allow Ukraine to pose a military threat to Russia. Zelensky argues that territorial questions belong to the countries' leaders and has renewed his call for a direct meeting with Vladimir Putin. Trump has recently increased pressure on Ukraine to reach an agreement, while the two sides remain far apart on the terms of any settlement.

Brussels first, then Abu Dhabi

US negotiators meet this week in Brussels with France, Germany, Britain, the EU and NATO. They will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe's future security framework and economic support for reconstruction. The European Commission is hosting related talks through 4-5 November. These include a reconstruction session with the US, EU, France, the UK, Germany, NATO, the World Bank and the business community. Ukraine's delegation is due to discuss security guarantees separately with the US, UK, France, Germany and NATO on 5 November, according to Rustem Umerov. The US official said the Brussels meetings build on recent diplomatic contacts and reflect Trump's continued efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

The UAE has mediated prisoner releases before. On 23 October it said its mediation had secured the release of 540 captives, 270 from each side. It was its 27th such effort.

What happens next

The trilateral session will take place on 10-11 November in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv had pushed for the next round sooner, while Moscow proposed mid-November.

Peskov said most Russian delegation members regularly brief Putin. They also receive instructions from him. He added that the president had no specific arrangements to speak with the delegation before departure.