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Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes

Headline from Al Jazeera · compiled from 2 sources

Our analysis · checked against 14 sources

US, Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi as Zelenskyy cites Russian losses

Envoy-level talks, the first three-way meeting since February, run 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi and focus on security guarantees. Zelenskyy says Russia suffers "record losses"; an ISW tally shows Russia lost a net 27.29 km² in October, while Russian commanders say they advance on all sectors and Moscow disputes his claim.

The framingBattlefield successes does fit ISW data showing Russia lost ground in October for a second month running, a net 27.29 km². But Russia still seized 139.85 km² that month, and Zelenskyy's "record losses" claim is not independently confirmed.

What the headline leaves out

  • The net shift is small: in October Russia seized 139.85 km² and lost 167.14 km², a net loss of 27.29 km², still gaining in Sumy and Zaporizhia.
  • The 800+ km² retaken near Oleksandrivka comes from Zelenskyy's own 8 November statement, as cited by ISW.
  • Positions remain far apart: Putin still demands Ukraine drop its NATO bid and accept military limits; European officials say Russia has made no concession.
  • Witkoff set the agenda before Zelenskyy spoke; Kyiv's chief of staff stressed prisoner exchanges.

What happens next

The talks run 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi, preceded by US meetings with Ukrainian, EU, NATO and European envoys. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says EU representatives could join only "at a later stage", and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas sees little sign Russia will negotiate in good faith. Trump warned Zelenskyy "has to want to settle"; Trump is reportedly considering inviting Zelenskyy to the December G20 summit in Miami.

Possible knock-on effects
  • Talks could end without a breakthrough, as earlier rounds have, which may leave the battlefield as the main lever for both sides and matters to front-line civilians and troops. (named expert: Analysts Moshes and Olofsgard (via Al Jazeera): no talks have come close to a breakthrough; only perhaps the March 2022 Istanbul round offered some possibility of ending the war.. Watch for: Any joint statement or agreed text on security guarantees after 11 November.)
  • Kushner's push for direct Russia–Europe engagement could widen the talks beyond Ukraine, but European pushback and Moscow's objection to EU involvement may stall that track, which matters to EU governments and Kyiv. (official assessment: Kushner and Trump describe a broader European security deal; Peskov says EU may join later; European officials call it premature.. Watch for: A date for a Russia–Europe meeting or an EU seat at the next round.)

Sources: ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 1 November 2026, ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 8 November 2026, Zelenskiy says battlefield successes strengthen Kyiv's position (The Star/Reuters), Zelenskiy says Ukrainian battlefield successes (Reuters via Yahoo), US-brokered talks set to start (Yahoo), CNN preview of Russia-Ukraine-US talks, US-brokered talks set to start in Abu Dhabi (News4Jax/AP), US-brokered talks (KRMG/AP), EU to send joint team to talks (Euronews), No concession: what to expect from talks (Al Jazeera), Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes (Al Jazeera), US to mediate Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi, Witkoff says (Fox News), Europe Says report on Zelenskyy claim, Kyiv Post on G20 invitation

Written in our own words from the sources above, and checked claim by claim before it was published. The report below says only what each outlet said.

The report: what outlets said

Al Jazeera reports that negotiators from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet for US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying recent battlefield gains had strengthened his country's hand.[1]

According to Al Jazeera, the meeting in the UAE capital on Tuesday will be the third round of talks there this year[2]. The outlet says the US side is led by Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner[2]."Ukrainian forces are currently genuinely strengthening Ukraine's negotiating position," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Monday[2], Al Jazeera reports. According to the outlet, he said Russia was "suffering record losses", a claim Moscow disputes[2].Al Jazeera reports that Trump told reporters he saw a "very strong inclination" towards ending the war and that both sides were "tired of fighting"[2]. The outlet says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a cautious note, saying the process still has "a ways to go"[2].According to Al Jazeera, a US official speaking on condition of anonymity said both Russia and Ukraine had privately shown some flexibility on a possible exchange of territory[1]. The official said security guarantees would be a central topic, including a possible defence commitment modelled on NATO's Article 5[1].Al Jazeera reports, citing The Kyiv Independent, that Rustem Umerov will again lead Ukraine's delegation[2]. The outlet says Russia's team will be headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky[2].According to Al Jazeera, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks would focus on security guarantees, and that European officials would not take part because the negotiations had been agreed as a three-way format[2].

Listen to the songUkraine War — November 10, 2026

Sources

  1. [1]Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes | Vladimir Putin News | Al Jazeera
  2. [2]Russia, Ukraine and US to meet as Zelenskyy claims battlefield successes

Every sentence here reports what a named outlet said, with a link to it. Compiled by 93 from the reporting below.

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