Russia-Ukraine-US Talks End Without Breakthrough After 2 Days as POW Swap Nears

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Nov 11

Abu Dhabi talks ended after a second day without a breakthrough on a post-war security framework, though the US said it saw “some openings” and Ukraine called for a second round soon.
Russia’s strict directives, disputes over whether a ceasefire must come first, and deadlock over Donetsk again blocked progress, with Kushner saying peace cannot come before agreement on territory and other bilateral issues.
A large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange was one concrete outcome in the works, while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due in Moscow on Thursday to meet Vladimir Putin before traveling to Dublin for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
European security guarantees remain central to Kyiv’s position, while Moscow is seeking limits on NATO’s role in eastern Europe; EU and NATO representatives were in Abu Dhabi, but the Kremlin said it had no contact with them.
The wrangling underscores a wider fight over Europe’s post-war security order nearly five years after Russia’s invasion, with trust still absent between the sides and European backing seen as necessary for any deal to hold.