Russia, Ukraine and U.S. meet in Abu Dhabi to seek end to invasion

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday for talks aimed at ending Russia's 4 1/2-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Past sessions have yielded little progress toward a lasting peace. The talks follow a localized ceasefire reached in late October for the Oleshky region, brokered with intervention from the U.S. first lady and Pope Leo XIV. Previous trilateral rounds in Abu Dhabi and Geneva since January 2026 have produced prisoner swaps but no breakthrough, with negotiations stalling after the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began in February. Since the invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, numerous diplomatic efforts have failed, including early Belarus and Istanbul talks, a 2022 Black Sea grain deal, and multiple summits on Ukraine's peace plan. A 19-point U.S.-Russian plan emerged in late 2025 but drew criticism for favoring Moscow.