Russia, Ukraine, U.S. conclude 1st day of trilateral talks, with negotiations to continue Wednesday

ABU DHABI, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Ukraine and the United States concluded the first day of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday after nearly four hours of discussions. The talks are set to continue on Wednesday.

The talks are the first trilateral meeting among the three countries since February.

The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, as well as military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, among other officials.

U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead the U.S. delegation.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, citing Ukrainian presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, the Ukrainian delegation includes Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, as well as other officials.

In opening remarks, Medinsky expressed hope that the meeting would help advance peace in the interests of the people of Russia and Ukraine, and Umerov said the latest round of talks aimed to achieve lasting peace.

Ahead of the trilateral talks, the Ukrainian team met with representatives of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as officials from NATO and the European Commission. The meeting was also attended by U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Following the first day of talks, Ukrainian and U.S. officials described the discussions as constructive and productive.

Later in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media platform X that the trilateral talks were "constructive and quite substantive," with the participants discussing possible humanitarian steps, including the release of prisoners, which he described as a priority.

He noted that the discussions also focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and mechanisms to ensure their long-term effectiveness, as well as steps toward de-escalation.

Zelensky added that the talks would continue Wednesday, stressing that the main goal was to "truly bring peace closer."

This photo taken on Nov. 3, 2026 shows a residential area during power outages in Kiev, Ukraine. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)

Speaking after a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as "very productive," saying the trilateral format should eventually be expanded to include European partners.

On Tuesday, Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 162 drones and one ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, while Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted and destroyed 155 Ukrainian drones. Those military claims could not be independently verified.