Ukraine intends to bring to the upcoming trilateral talks with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi the issues of security guarantees, ceasing strikes on energy infrastructure, unblocking the Black Sea and prisoner exchanges. A separate task will be preparing the meeting of the presidents of the three states, which Kyiv insists on involving European partners in.
This was stated on 3 November by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint press conference with Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz in Berlin, reports Ukrinform.
According to Zelensky, the American side has already outlined two areas it intends to discuss at the meeting on 10–11 November: security guarantees for Ukraine and a package for the post-war reconstruction of the country. At the same time, representatives of Washington are coordinating with the Ukrainian negotiating team additional issues that Kyiv considers necessary to include in the agenda.
The president emphasized that Ukraine hopes not only for discussion of the future peace agreement, but also for concrete steps to reduce the intensity of hostilities. Among his top priorities he listed protection of critical infrastructure, restoration of maritime security and the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
Ending strikes on energy and unblocking the Black Sea
One of the main proposals of the Ukrainian side will be ceasing strikes on energy facilities and other critical infrastructure. Zelensky included this issue among the first practical measures that need to be discussed with the American and Russian delegations.
The topic of an energy truce is of particular importance amid ongoing Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system. Damage to generation facilities and distribution networks leads to electricity supply restrictions in various regions of the country.
The day before, on 2 November, Zelensky reported that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is preparing a new massive strike, primarily on energy and logistics infrastructure. The president also noted a change in the tactics of Russian attacks: strikes are being carried out not only on power plants, but also on electricity transmission and distribution networks.
At the press conference in Berlin, Zelensky spoke of the need for a ceasefire regarding energy and critical infrastructure. The agreement of a corresponding regime with the Russian side has not been reported yet.
The second area of the talks the president named was unblocking the Black Sea. This issue is linked to the safety of maritime shipping and the ability to ensure stable trade transportation, including the export of Ukrainian food.
Zelensky noted that restoring security in the Black Sea serves the interests of not only Ukraine. In his opinion, Russia is also interested in this, as well as the states of Africa and Asia and other international partners.
The matter of maritime security is important for the export of Ukrainian grain and other goods shipped through Black Sea ports. However, the president did not specify the concrete terms of possible agreements on shipping and the grain corridor during his speech.
Prisoner exchange and preparation of a presidential meeting
Another priority of the Ukrainian delegation will be the humanitarian agenda, primarily the return of military personnel and other detained citizens.
Zelensky stressed that Kyiv is interested in increasing the number of exchanges and bringing home as many people as possible. He called the "all for all" exchange formula the preferred option, but allowed for discussion of other mechanisms that would speed up the process.
According to the president, the negotiators must determine how to make exchanges more intensive. Thus, the Ukrainian side intends to discuss not only the possible scale of the next exchange, but also practical ways of organizing the future return of people.
A separate item on the agenda will be the preparation of a trilateral summit meeting involving the presidents of Ukraine, the US and Russia.
Zelensky believes that the delegation-level talks should contribute to moving towards direct discussion of the most difficult issues of ending the war between the state leaders. However, the date of such a meeting has not been determined yet.
The Ukrainian president also insists on the participation of European countries in the future negotiation process. He stressed that achieving sustainable peace is impossible without involving Europe in the discussion of agreements that will determine the security of the region.
Kyiv's position provides for the participation of European partners in one format or another. However, the concrete mechanism for their involvement in a possible leaders' meeting still needs to be agreed upon.
What negotiations are planned in Abu Dhabi
Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US are to be held on 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The dates of the meeting were announced by Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump.
According to his statement, the United States will act as a mediator in negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian sides. The meeting is scheduled at the working level, not directly between the presidents.
The American representative outlined four main areas of consultation: post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures, and further steps towards a peace agreement.
Additionally, this week the American negotiating team is to hold separate consultations in Brussels with representatives of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO.
The Brussels meeting is expected to discuss future security guarantees for Ukraine, the security architecture of Europe after the war, and economic opportunities for supporting the country's reconstruction.
Witkoff also said that Washington intends to continue the diplomatic work started during previous contacts in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg. The American side expects to use the results of these consultations for the preparation of a long-term peace agreement.
Earlier, Zelensky said the trilateral meeting could take place between 6 and 10 November. However, the final timing depended on the American mediators. After Witkoff's relevant announcement, the new date for negotiations was set for 10–11 November.
Thus, at the upcoming meeting the negotiating teams are to discuss both long-term issues of security and reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as possible interim agreements on energy, maritime shipping and prisoner exchanges. At the same time, the reaching of agreements on these areas before the start of the negotiations has not been announced.
