Evening edition · Wednesday, 11 November 2026
One swap agreed, two flights booked: Abu Dhabi ends without a map
Two days of talks produced a large prisoner exchange in principle and a travel plan: Moscow on Thursday, Dublin after. Territory stays the hardest file. That is a sequence, not a settlement, and sequences are how settlements start.
The second day of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi ended on Wednesday after a session of just under two hours3. Nobody claimed a breakthrough, and the BBC found “no hint” of one1. What the round did produce is smaller and more useful: a humanitarian deal in principle and a calendar.
The swap. Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange is being prepared and could happen soon1. Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said “mutual understanding” had been reached on some issues and that more talks would follow2. Zelenskyy listed “an important humanitarian arrangement regarding preparations for a new exchange” as the first result2. This morning a swap was a line in a source’s notes. Tonight both governments say it on the record.
The calendar. Jared Kushner said he and Steve Witkoff will meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, then fly to Dublin to debrief Zelenskyy, who is attending the European Political Community summit2. He hopes to “finalise” what he called “the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners” in Moscow2.
The hard file. Kushner said “the territorial issues … will be the hardest” and that “there is no trust right now between the sides”1,2. Ukraine’s Davyd Arakhamia called this round “one of the hardest”, said the Russians came “with very strict directives”, and still spoke of “good momentum”1. Donetsk remains the knot: Moscow wants the rest of it, Kyiv wants the line frozen1.
The empty chair. Europeans were in Abu Dhabi and met the US and Ukrainian teams, but the Kremlin said it had no contact with them1. Kushner said getting Europeans “added to the format” is on his agenda for Putin1. Medinsky was cool on the idea2. A German government spokesperson said talks between Chancellor Merz and Putin “may ensue” on the basis of an understanding reached among European, US and Ukrainian officials, not with Russia2.
For you: ignore the adjectives, which were “substantive” on one side and “strict” on the other, and follow the logistics. A prisoner list, a flight to Moscow and a meeting in Dublin can all be checked by Friday. That is a modest scorecard, and an honest one.
What to watch
- Witkoff and Kushner's meeting with Putin in Moscow on Thursday, where Kushner hopes to 'finalise' the prisoner release2.
- The debrief with Zelenskyy in Dublin, on the margins of the European Political Community summit2.
- Whether Moscow agrees to add Europeans to the format; Kushner says he will raise it with Putin1,2.
Peace is rarely announced. It is scheduled, one meeting at a time.
Sources
- Russia-Ukraine talks turn to post-war security but end without breakthrough — BBC News, 11 Nov 2026, c. 16:10 CET.
- US envoys to meet Putin and Zelenskyy separately after peace talks see some progress – Europe live — The Guardian, 11 Nov 2026, updated 16:12 CET.
- 2nd day of Russia-Ukraine-US talks in Abu Dhabi ends after nearly 2 hours — Anadolu Agency, 11 Nov 2026.
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