Russia, Ukraine and U.S. meet in Abu Dhabi: what each side says

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are meeting in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 10 and 11. It is the first three-way meeting since February.

Who is at the table

• Russia: the delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Russian media report it also includes deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and defense official Yuri Zhigarlovsky. It is a more senior team than in earlier rounds.
• United States: special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
• Ukraine: the delegation is led by Rustem Umerov.

The Kremlin insists the format is strictly three-way. Separately, national security advisers from France, Germany and Britain and officials from the European Commission are expected in Abu Dhabi for side meetings, according to reports.

What each side says it wants to discuss

• Russia: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the first item on the agenda is security, for Russia, Ukraine and the region as a whole. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says "all the details, of course, will be discussed behind closed doors."
• United States: Kushner says the agenda covers ending the war, security after the war and rebuilding. A senior U.S. official says questions about territory will most likely be left until the end of the negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said there are no final decisions yet, but some progress may be possible.

Expectations are low. Analysts on both sides say they do not expect a breakthrough at this round, and no ceasefire has been announced.

Strikes right before the talks: the claims

Both sides kept up attacks in the hours before the meeting. Neither side's figures can be independently confirmed.

• Russia's Defense Ministry claims its air defenses destroyed 430 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions between the evening of November 8 and the morning of November 9.
• The governor of Russia's Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said 113 drones were shot down over his region that night, and confirmed that one hit the territory of the KINEF oil refinery in Kirishi, one of Russia's largest. Fire was reported at the site. He said debris also struck an apartment building in Kirishi and a family was evacuated, with no injuries there.

What to watch next

• Whether the two days end with any joint statement, even on smaller issues such as prisoner exchanges.
• Whether a date is set for a higher-level meeting.
• Whether either side slows its strikes on energy sites while talks continue.