Briefing
On 10 November 2026 have in Abu Dhabi US-mediated talks between delegations from the United States, Russia and Ukraine began. The sessions are scheduled for 10 and 11 November 2026 and, according to the parties involved, are primarily intended to explore technical questions relating to de-escalation, possible security guarantees, humanitarian measures and agreed prisoner exchanges.
Germany is represented at the talks: Günter Sautter, foreign and security policy adviser to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is taking part in accompanying coordination and advisory formats, according to consistent reports. Official sources in Berlin stressed that Germany is not a member of the formal trilateral delegation, but wants to contribute to coordination formats in order to put forward European interests and security concerns.
US officials and Ukrainian representatives emphasised that the initial focus was on technical and security-related issues; no comprehensive peace treaty was announced. Russia sent a negotiating delegation, while Western governments also expressed scepticism about the political significance of any agreements made without broad European involvement. Observers see the meeting more as a starting point for limited agreements — on humanitarian corridors or prisoner exchanges, for example — than as an immediate basis for a comprehensive peace settlement.
The talks matter to Germany because agreements on security guarantees, energy security and an international presence in Eastern Europe would have direct consequences for Europe’s security architecture and cooperation within NATO. European Union representatives and several European countries said they would take part in side formats to strengthen the legitimacy and feasibility of any potential agreements.
The facts and attributions presented are based on official statements and reports from international news agencies and German media dated 9 and 10 November 2026; all dates mentioned are specified.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).