Last Sunday (November 23), representatives from the United States and Ukraine met in Geneva to update and enhance a framework for a peace agreement, drawing global attention to how Russia will respond. Currently, delegations from the United States and Russia are holding talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This is part of a new intensive effort by the Trump administration to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The spokesperson for the U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Jeff Tolbert, stated that Driscoll and his team held talks with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi later on Monday (November 24) and Tuesday to “achieve permanent peace in Ukraine.”
“The talks are progressing well, and we remain optimistic,” he said. “As the discussions advance, Secretary Driscoll closely coordinates with the White House.”
It is currently unclear which members are part of the Russian delegation, and the specific contents of the U.S.-Russia talks are also unclear.
A source told ABC News that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, is currently meeting with American officials in Abu Dhabi and may also meet with Russian officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the meeting, stated, “We still do not have any information to provide and are closely monitoring media reports and conducting careful analysis.”
Driscoll, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with the Ukrainian team in Geneva last Sunday (November 23) to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both sides described the talks as productive.
After the talks, Rubio and Witkoff returned to the United States to brief President Trump on the situation. Driscoll rushed to Abu Dhabi to meet with Russian officials.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Moscow expects the United States to submit a draft interim version once coordination with Europe and Ukraine is completed.
“We are maintaining communication channels with our American counterparts, and these channels are active,” he said. “So far, I reiterate, no one has formally conveyed any information to us.”
He also mentioned that the modified peace plan between the U.S. and Ukraine must reflect the “spirit and substance” of the August summit between Putin and Trump in Alaska.
Ukrainian National Security Secretary Rustem Umerov posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday, praising the “productive and constructive talks” held in Geneva between the Ukrainian and American teams and thanking President Trump for his efforts to end the war.
He stated that the key provisions of the agreements discussed at the Geneva talks have reached a consensus, and they now look forward to the support of European partners in the subsequent steps.
“We are looking forward to scheduling a visit by the Ukrainian President to the United States in November, to finalize the last steps and reach an agreement with President Trump,” Umerov said.
According to CNN, a U.S. official mentioned, “The Ukrainian side has agreed to a peace agreement, although there are some minor details to be worked out, they have agreed to the peace agreement.”
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted on the X platform on Tuesday, saying that over the past week, the United States has made significant progress in advancing the peace agreement, successfully bringing Ukraine and Russia back to the negotiating table. There are several tricky but not insurmountable details that need to be resolved, requiring further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.