By World Media Feed Editorial Team
ABU DHABI, November 11, 2026 — Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have reported progress following two days of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, including an agreement on a major prisoner-of-war exchange. However, deep disagreements over territory and security arrangements continue to complicate efforts to end the war.
The discussions marked the first direct peace talks between the two sides in nine months. While the prisoner exchange represents a concrete outcome, negotiators did not announce a broader agreement or a breakthrough on the central political issues.
U.S. mediators acknowledged that a significant lack of trust remains between Moscow and Kyiv. Jared Kushner, who participated in the negotiations alongside U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, described the discussions as a positive step while recognizing that difficult questions remain unresolved.
Territorial disputes remain the central obstacle
One of the most difficult issues continues to be the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine surrender territory it still controls in the region, a condition Kyiv has rejected. There has been no public indication that Moscow is prepared to abandon this demand.
Negotiators also discussed postwar security guarantees and reconstruction, areas that could become important elements of a future settlement.
Ukraine has argued that European countries should participate directly in broader negotiations. Russia’s chief negotiator expressed reservations about expanding the format to include European representatives.
Fighting continues despite diplomatic efforts
The negotiations took place while military operations continued.
According to officials cited by Reuters, Russian strikes hit electricity infrastructure in central Ukraine, while an attack on a market in the Odesa region killed three people.
Russian authorities also reported that a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in the Belgorod region.
The continued attacks underline the difficulty of separating diplomatic discussions from the realities of the battlefield.
What happens next?
U.S. representatives are expected to continue diplomatic contacts with both sides. Kushner and Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The next stage could help determine whether the limited progress in Abu Dhabi can lead to more substantive negotiations.
For now, the prisoner exchange agreement offers a tangible humanitarian development, but the fundamental disagreements over territory, security and the future European security framework remain unresolved.
World Media Feed will continue following diplomatic developments and their implications for Ukraine, Russia and European security.
Sources: Reuters reporting from Abu Dhabi, Moscow and Kyiv, November 11, 2026.
Editorial note: The agreement on a prisoner exchange and the statements by negotiators are reported developments. A comprehensive peace agreement has not been announced.
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