--- title: "Arahamia Calls Abu Dhabi Talks 'Tough': Russians Brought 'Strict Directives'" description: "Servant of the People faction leader David Arahamia described the Abu Dhabi talks as \"tough\" due to strict directives from the Russian delegation and announced progress on a number of issues." date: 2026-11-11T13:57:39.880Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/arahamia-abu-dabi-talks-tough-directives tags: [ukraine, russia, abudabi-talks, peace-negotiations, sluga-narodu, arakhimiya] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Arahamia Calls Abu Dhabi Talks 'Tough': Russians Brought 'Strict Directives' ![David Arahamia and other participants in business suits at the negotiating table](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/arahamiya-peregovory-abu-dabi-zhestkie-direktivy/arahamiya-peregovory-abu-dabi-zhestkie-direktivy-1.webp) ## Key Points - Arahamia called the Abu Dhabi talks "tough" due to the Russian delegation's "strict directives" - Ukraine announces a shift from a trilateral to a multilateral format with the participation of European countries - Following the second day (November 11), an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange was announced - Arahamia urged Witkoff and Kushner to return for a second round of meetings after visiting Moscow David Arahamia, leader of the Servant of the People faction, commented on the progress of the trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi, describing them as "tough." According to him, the Russian delegation arrived at the meetings with "very strict directives," making it difficult to soften the discussion. He made these remarks while speaking with journalists, commenting on the outcomes of the second day of negotiations held on November 11. ### Why the Discussion Was Hard to Soften "The Russians arrived with very tough directives, so it was difficult to soften the discussion," Arahamia noted. At the same time, he emphasized that the format of discussing the post-war future of both countries helped establish a dialogue and allowed the parties to start working more productively. Earlier, before the start of the meetings, the MP noted that after a long pause, the very resumption of the negotiation process could already be considered an achievement, and the Ukrainian side did not expect significant breakthroughs from the first round, placing its main hopes on the second stage. ### Transition to a Multilateral Format Arahamia also pointed to the shift from a trilateral to a multilateral negotiation format. "European countries must be at the negotiating table. If we are talking about the post-war security of Europe, Ukraine is a part of it, therefore European countries must discuss with us what security in Europe will look like," he stressed. Thus, Kyiv is effectively declaring its intention to expand the circle of participants in the discussion on security guarantees. ### Appeal to US Special Envoys Separately, Arahamia appealed to US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of their visit to Russia. "I urge you to visit Moscow and then return to us in Dublin to hold the second round of meetings. It is important to agree on and announce the date of the next meeting as soon as possible, because now we have a good opportunity to find a solution before the New Year," the faction leader stated. He also reported "significant progress" on a number of other issues which, according to him, cannot yet be discussed publicly. ### Outcomes of the Second Day and Prisoner Exchange On November 11, the second day of trilateral negotiations on conflict resolution took place in Abu Dhabi. As a result, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations reportedly reached an agreement to conduct a large-scale prisoner of war exchange. The meetings of representatives of the three countries took place on November 10–11 after a nine-month pause; the main topics announced were security guarantees, de-escalation, and humanitarian issues. ### What's Next Immediately after the end of the second day of talks, on November 12, Witkoff and Kushner plan to travel to Moscow, where they are scheduled to meet with Vladimir Putin. According to Arahamia, the Ukrainian side is interested in having the US special envoys return for further consultations after this visit, which, in his estimation, will make it possible to use the current window of opportunity to advance toward a solution before the end of the year. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Арахамия рассказал, почему переговоры с РФ в Абу-Даби были "жесткими"](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/arahamiya-rozpoviv-chomu-peregovori-rf-abu-1794400670.html) - Primary source: Arahamia's quotes on "tough directives," the multilateral format, the appeal to Witkoff/Kushner; outcomes of the second day and the prisoner exchange. - [Ожиданий от первого раунда переговоров в Абу-Даби нет, но есть от второго — Арахамия](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/ukraine/20261110-ochikuvan-vid-pershogo-raundu-peregovoriv-v-abu-dabi-nemaye-ale-ye-vid-drugogo-arahamiya/) - Context: dates November 10–11, minimal expectations from the first round, symmetrical US approach. - [Первый раунд переговоров с РФ не обещает прорыва: Арахамия объяснил почему](https://glavred.info/politics/proryva-ne-budet-pochemu-arahamiya-zhdet-rezultata-tolko-ot-vtorogo-raunda-10810742.html) - Context: Arahamia's statement in an interview with DW regarding the pause and expectations for the second round; negotiation topics. - [Минимальные ожидания: Арахамия рассказал о перспективах первых переговоров в Абу-Даби](https://24tv.ua/ru/arahamija-o-peregovorah-v-abu-dabi-pochemu-ozhidat-ot-pervoj-vstrechi_n3177090) - Confirmation of the November 10–11 dates and the position regarding hopes for the second round. ## FAQ ### Why did Arahamia describe the Abu Dhabi talks as "tough"? The Servant of the People faction leader explained that the Russian delegation arrived with "very strict directives," making it difficult to soften the discussion. ### What result was announced following the second day of negotiations? According to reports, on November 11 the Ukrainian and Russian delegations reached an agreement to conduct a large-scale prisoner of war exchange. ### What did Arahamia say about the format of future negotiations? He announced a shift from a trilateral to a multilateral format and emphasized that European countries must participate in discussing Europe's post-war security.