The Ukrainian delegation heading to Abu Dhabi to participate in multilateral talks involving the US and Russia intends to make the humanitarian track the top priority of the agenda. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, who will be part of the Ukrainian delegation. According to him, the key signal is that the diplomatic process is not stopping and continues to develop despite the complexity of the situation. Budanov emphasized that Ukraine «wants the end of the war as soon as possible more than anyone else» and counts on a constructive dialogue with partners.
Humanitarian Track and Prisoner Swaps
The central element of Ukraine's position at the upcoming meetings will be, according to Budanov, precisely the humanitarian direction. He explicitly pointed out the necessity to intensify prisoner exchanges and stated his expectation that the dialogue in the UAE will yield practical results, allowing agreement on subsequent stages of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians home. Thus, Kyiv is trying to move negotiations from the plane of declarations to the plane of concrete, measurable mechanisms that can be implemented in the near future.
Role of the US and Gratitude to Mediators
Separately, Budanov thanked US Presidential Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for their «personal efforts in the negotiation process». This confirms that Washington is acting not merely as an observer, but as an active architect of the format in which Ukraine and Russia are once again sitting down at the negotiating table. Kyiv's recognition of the role of American mediators indicates that the Ukrainian side perceives the diplomatic channel through the US as working and ready for continuation.
Format, Dates, and Agenda Boundaries
According to The New York Times, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia mediated by the US are scheduled to resume on November 10 in Abu Dhabi, while the issue of a ceasefire will not be on the agenda. This means that the first meeting will be of a more preparatory and framework nature, with key security issues postponed. Additionally, as Jared Kushner reported, prior to the start of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the US is gathering NATO partners, as well as EU and Ukrainian representatives, for a separate meeting to discuss the post-war security architecture.
Expectations of Practical Results
The totality of statements allows for the conclusion that the Ukrainian side is approaching the Abu Dhabi format with a pragmatic mindset: to obtain not political formulations, but working mechanisms for the humanitarian track and a clear security roadmap. At the same time, the absence of ceasefire discussions in the first session and the parallel summit on post-conflict architecture show that the process is structured as multi-layered: humanitarian steps go hand in hand with building long-term security guarantees with the participation of the US, EU, and NATO.
