Agenda for the Abu Dhabi talks
Witkoff outlined the planned talks in a post on X, describing them as part of President Trump's effort "to end the war". He said the agenda would address security arrangements after the war, steps to reduce tensions, humanitarian interventions and further efforts toward peace.
The envoy said Washington hoped to build on what he described as progress in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg to reach a comprehensive and durable peace agreement.
Ukraine's priorities and conditions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants the Abu Dhabi talks to begin with practical de-escalation measures, including prisoner exchanges and ceasefires covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, according to POLITICO. He also said the technical teams should consider the format for a future meeting involving him, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky said only the leaders could discuss drawing boundaries, whether temporary or permanent. In previous negotiations, he said, Ukraine had been willing to consider a demilitarized "buffer zone" extending to both sides of the contact line in the Donbas region as a compromise.
Any peace agreement would require strong security guarantees and a commitment to fund Ukraine's army for 10 years, Zelensky said, according to The Straits Times.
European security and support for Ukraine
The Brussels meetings will bring US negotiators together with representatives of France, Germany, the UK, the EU and NATO. Witkoff said their working-level agenda would extend beyond guarantees for Ukraine to Europe's postwar security architecture and economic opportunities that could support Ukrainian reconstruction.
According to POLITICO, detailed proposals were developed in coordination with Washington almost a year before the November 2026 talks by the "Coalition of the Willing". The group is a loose alliance of more than 30 countries led by France, the UK and Germany.
European governments now supply the vast majority of Ukraine's financial and military support, POLITICO reported, after Trump ended American aid in 2025. EU leaders are scheduled to discuss how to secure funding for Ukraine's war effort at a Brussels summit on November 26, 2026.
