---
title: "Kushner and Witkoff Travel to Putin and Zelensky: What the New Round of Talks in Abu Dhabi Will Decide"
description: "A new round of negotiations involving American intermediaries Kushner and Witkoff, Putin, and Zelensky is being prepared in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv has pre-coordinated its position with the EU, though the meeting itself is not guaranteed."
date: 2026-11-12T13:48:35.948Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kushner-witkoff-putin-zelensky-abu-dhabi-talks
tags: [ukraine-russia-talks, abu-dhabi, kushner, witkoff, zelensky, putin, diplomacy]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Kushner and Witkoff Travel to Putin and Zelensky: What the New Round of Talks in Abu Dhabi Will Decide

![Neon handshake on a dark background as a symbol of diplomatic negotiations and agreement](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/peregovory-putin-zelenskiy-abu-dabi-2026/peregovory-putin-zelenskiy-abu-dabi-2026-1.webp)

## Key Points

- American negotiators Kushner and Witkoff are preparing meetings with Putin and Zelensky, with Abu Dhabi considered as the venue.
- Zelensky announced the coordination of positions with EC President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the talks.
- Kyiv emphasizes that Putin's consent to negotiations does not guarantee that the meeting will take place.
- The new round continues the diplomatic cycle following contacts in Istanbul and phone calls between Putin and Trump.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict surrounding Ukraine, a new diplomatic contour is forming: American negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are preparing meetings with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, which could become a key round in the attempt to reach a negotiated settlement. According to available data, Abu Dhabi is being considered as the venue for the contacts, which in itself is a signal: the parties are choosing a neutral platform outside of Europe, where neither Brussels nor Washington directly pressure the process. It is precisely in this format—through intermediaries rather than direct bilateral contacts—that the current architecture of dialogue is being built.

### Kyiv Pre-coordinated Its Line with Brussels

The Ukrainian side is not entering this round alone. Volodymyr Zelensky publicly stated that ahead of the talks in Abu Dhabi, he coordinated his positions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This means that Kyiv is trying to build a unified European-Ukrainian line before sitting down at the table with the Russian side and American intermediaries. Such preliminary synchronization with the EU is an attempt to avoid a situation where the Ukrainian negotiating position appears fragmented or contradictory regarding European partners.

### Moscow's Consent Does Not Guarantee the Meeting Itself

At the same time, the Ukrainian side is showing caution. According to Zelensky's assessment, Putin's consent to negotiations does not yet mean that the meeting will actually take place: there are nuances that make Kyiv wary. This is an important factor: a diplomatic gesture of readiness from Moscow is not identical to the actual organization of contact, and a number of organizational and political conditions remain before a real handshake. That is why Kyiv is in no hurry to announce a breakthrough until the date, format, and agenda are confirmed.

### Context: From Istanbul to Abu Dhabi

The current round does not arise in a vacuum. Previously, the diplomatic cycle featured negotiations in Istanbul, telephone contacts between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, as well as discussions in Kyiv with American partners on topics of sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, and defense cooperation. The transition from one platform to another—from Istanbul to Abu Dhabi—reflects the parties' attempt to find a format in which at least framework agreements could be fixed. American intermediaries Kushner and Witkoff play the role of a connecting link between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv in this process.

### Other Topics of the Diplomatic Cycle

In addition to the main negotiating track, the current information cycle also discusses accompanying themes: checks on Russian citizens in German airports, the discussion on lustration in Serbia, and protest sentiments in Crimea. These plots are not part of the negotiation process as such, but they form the general background in which diplomacy unfolds: from the control of movement of individuals to domestic political processes in the region's countries. For the reader, it is important to see that the negotiating track is just one of several parallel lines determining the dynamics of the conflict in 2026.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Путин и Зеленский: что решат переговоры? Люстрации в Сербии?](https://www.dw.com/ru/vstreci-putina-i-zelenskogo-s-uitkoffom-oprosy-rossian-v-frg-protesty-v-krymu-i-lustracii-v-serbii/audio-79928790) - Primary source: meetings of American negotiators Kushner and Witkoff with Putin and Zelensky; accompanying themes (checks at FRG airports, lustration in Serbia, protests in Crimea).
- [Зеленский заявил, что скоординировал позиции с ЕС перед переговороами в Абу-Даби](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20261109-%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BB-%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE-%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BB-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D1%81-%D0%B5%D1%81-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D0%B2-%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%83-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B8) - Zelensky reported the coordination of actions with Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the talks in Abu Dhabi.
- [Путин и Трамп поговорили по телефону. 1181-й день войны РФ против Украины](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20250519-1181-%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D1%80%D1%84-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B) - Context: telephone contact between Putin and Trump, discussions in Kyiv regarding Istanbul, sanctions, trade, and defense cooperation.
- [Путин согласился на переговоры, но есть нюанс: Зеленский сказал, что настораживает](https://glavred.info/war/putin-soglasilsya-na-peregovory-no-est-nyuans-zelenskiy-obyasnil-chto-nastorazhivaet-10807016.html) - Putin's consent does not guarantee the meeting; Abu Dhabi is considered as the venue; Kyiv is wary.

## FAQ

### Where might the new negotiations take place?

According to available data, Abu Dhabi is being considered as the venue for the contacts.

### Who is acting as the mediator on behalf of the US?

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are figuring as the American negotiators.

### Has Kyiv coordinated its position with Europe?

Yes, Zelensky stated that he coordinated actions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before the talks.

### Is the meeting itself guaranteed?

No. According to Zelensky's assessment, Putin's consent to negotiations does not yet mean the meeting will take place; there are nuances that make Kyiv wary.