Kyiv seeks Nov. 3 start for Abu Dhabi talks

Ukraine is pressing Russia to accelerate the start of trilateral peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi by one week. Kyiv wants the talks to begin on November 3, rather than the currently scheduled November 10, which follows the United States congressional midterm elections. The Ukrainian delegation argues that time is running short as winter approaches.

A source close to the Ukrainian negotiation team stated that every week in December becomes critical for the country. The official noted that when residents lack power, water, or heating, each day carries weight. This urgency drives the request to pull the schedule forward. As of the evening of October 25, Moscow had not yet confirmed the date change.

The United States is supporting this push. Ukrainian and American officials are jointly working to convince the Russian side to agree to the earlier meeting. The goal is to hold the first session of the new negotiation round before the weather worsens significantly for Ukraine's civilian population.

Kyiv also wants to seat a European representative at the table. Russia has resisted including Europeans in the initial meeting. However, the Ukrainian team plans to bring the EU envoy to Abu Dhabi and brief them in real time. The source explained that European envoys currently lack a formal mandate to make decisions, limiting their role to receiving signals.

Björn Seibert, the head of cabinet for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has emerged as the likely EU representative. He is described as von der Leyen's closest aide. Previous US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff reportedly conveyed the idea of a new security model to Vladimir Putin, who allegedly agreed to the concept.

Ukrainian officials do not expect a breakthrough at the first meeting. A member of President Zelenskyy's team said the initial session will focus on new delegations getting acquainted. Substantive work is expected to begin at the second meeting. Real decisions may emerge by the third round.

The Russian side remains confident in its position. A source from the President's Office said Russia believes it can break Ukraine during the winter. This assessment underscores the strategic importance of holding talks before the coldest months arrive.

Ukraine is also shifting the negotiation focus away from specific territorial exchanges. Instead of debating which villages go to which side, Kyiv proposes defining the post-war order. The goal is to outline how Ukraine will be protected and what cooperation with NATO will look like.

Davyd Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, told American officials that the final peace deal must be acceptable to residents of Kharkiv and Dnipro. He stated that if people in those regions accept the formula, it would represent meaningful progress.

Zelenskyy has previously stated that Ukraine will not accept limits on its armed forces size or neutral status in any deal. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader, said Russia is ready to resume talks after November 4. The next round may also take place in Switzerland, according to US government sources.