Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Rustem Umerov stated that Kyiv expects to achieve lasting peace and obtain reliable security guarantees as a result of the current round of talks on ending the war. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a direct statement made by the FIS chief in the context of the resumption of trilateral contacts in Abu Dhabi.
Negotiating mandate and process timeline
"President Zelensky has given us a mandate to discuss all the issues our people are waiting for in order to end this war," Umerov emphasized. According to him, the negotiation process has been formally underway for almost a year, but the most intensive preparation for the current round took place over the last two months. This indicates that a formally long period of diplomatic contacts was followed by a sharp, accelerated phase of position development, which led to the resumption of direct trilateral negotiations.
Resumption of trilateral contacts in Abu Dhabi
On November 10, 2026, for the first time since February of this year, trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia resumed in the United Arab Emirates. The meeting format involves the direct participation of the delegations of the three countries, while European representatives are not part of the main negotiation block. Instead, they hold separate consultations with the Ukrainian side, which allows them to maintain their involvement in the process without changing the architecture of the trilateral dialogue.
Coordination with European partners before the meeting with the Russian delegation
Before the start of talks with representatives of the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian delegation held a series of working meetings with the American side and European partners. Participants in the consultations included representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, as well as structures of NATO and the European Commission. Such a sequence — first, synchronizing positions with allies, then reaching out to the Russian side — testifies to a clearly structured diplomatic procedure in which Kyiv seeks to establish a unified line before direct contact with the adversary.
The role of the US and the position of Jared Kushner
Umerov separately expressed gratitude to the United States for its leadership role in the negotiation process and thanked the UAE for organizing and hosting the meetings on its territory. From the American administration, a statement was issued by Special Envoy Jared Kushner, who said that Russia is ready to end the war if "proper conditions" are created for it. This phrasing effectively records Moscow's readiness to discuss ending hostilities if certain guarantees are in place, which corresponds with the expectations of the Ukrainian side voiced by Umerov.
Context and significance of the round
The resumption of trilateral negotiations after a gap of almost nine months (from February to November 2026) represents a significant shift in the diplomatic track for a settlement. Umerov's statement regarding the president's mandate to discuss "all issues" indicates that the Ukrainian side is approaching the talks with an expanded set of powers that go beyond purely military or territorial topics. The combination of factors — US leadership, the neutral UAE venue, preliminary coordination with European allies, and the stated readiness of the Russian side to discuss terms for ending the war — forms the foundation for what diplomats call a "window of opportunity" to achieve a sustainable cessation of hostilities.
