Islamabad, 3 November, 2026 (Kamran Raja): The United States will host a fresh round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, aimed at ending the ongoing war between the two countries, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has announced. According to Witkoff, the discussions will focus on ending the conflict, post-war security arrangements, de-escalation and humanitarian measures. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump and a key negotiator in the peace efforts, are expected to represent Washington at the talks. The latest diplomatic initiative follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s agreement to resume trilateral negotiations after meeting Witkoff in St Petersburg two weeks ago. Ahead of the Abu Dhabi meeting, US negotiators will hold working-level discussions in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, the European Union and NATO. These meetings will focus on security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s future security framework and financial assistance for Ukraine’s reconstruction. However, significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv over territorial control and post-war security arrangements. Russia has demanded that Ukraine surrender territories it claims to have annexed, while Kyiv has rejected territorial concessions and called for firm security guarantees against future aggression. Moscow has also sought restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities and its future relationship with NATO, demands that Ukraine has strongly opposed. The last formal US-mediated trilateral peace talks were held in February, while subsequent diplomatic efforts failed to achieve a breakthrough. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Europe’s largest war since World War II. The upcoming Abu Dhabi negotiations are expected to test Washington’s renewed efforts to bring both sides closer to a lasting peace agreement and end the prolonged conflict.