Washington Hosts Fresh Peace Talks Amid Pessimism Over Ukraine Conflict Resolution

Nov. 10, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET

Following a nine‑month pause, the United States is scheduled to host new peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, though few observers expect a breakthrough in Moscow’s near‑five‑year war against its neighbour.

Because a broad ceasefire appears highly unlikely, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to concentrate the discussions on the security arrangements that would accompany any future agreement to end the conflict.

The two‑day meeting is slated to examine a “post‑war security framework” that would form part of a comprehensive peace deal and help prevent a resumption of hostilities, Mr. Witkoff wrote on social media over the weekend.

However, core disputes remain untouched—including Russia’s territorial ambitions over Ukraine’s government and its Western ties, as well as Moscow’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian land and its assaults on civilians and civilian infrastructure—making a swift end to the war appear distant.

According to Dmitri Trenin, president of the Russian International Affairs Council, the talks in Abu Dhabi will focus only on “technical questions,” and he noted that none of the substantive Russian concerns would be discussed.

The previous U.S.-backed negotiations collapsed in February when Ukraine rejected Russian territorial claims and the United States shifted its focus to a conflict with Iran. Special peace envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son‑in‑law, have since devoted most of their efforts to the Iran front.

Recently, a temporary humanitarian pause in Ukraine’s Kherson region was secured by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV to allow evacuation of civilians from the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky. At a White House gathering of Russian and Ukrainian officials, Mrs. Trump said she hoped the Oleshky truce could serve as a “spark” to ignite a “powerful flame of peace” to end the war.

Yet diplomats and analysts argue that the current situation on the ground does not support the kind of concessions needed from either side to bring the conflict to an end.

Analysts note that Ukraine’s recent territorial gains have reduced Kyiv’s willingness to meet Moscow’s demands. Russia seeks control of the entire Donetsk region, including the 20 percent it does not currently occupy, while Ukraine has inflicted significant casualties on Russian ground forces in recent months.

Concurrently, Russia has intensified a winter campaign of missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, seeking to demoralize civilians and force the country’s capitulation. Analysts suggest that this approach makes a broader ceasefire improbable until at least the spring.

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