US holds Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi

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US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is holding talks in Abu Dhabi with the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence and a Russian delegation as Washington seeks a deal to end the Kremlin’s war.

Driscoll, an ally of US Vice president J.D. Vance, began talks with the Russians on Monday evening, according to a US official and two people familiar with the meeting. Discussions were scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

The composition of the Russian delegation was not immediately clear, and it was not clear whether the three parties in Abu Dhabi were meeting together or speaking separately.

But Driscoll was also expected to meet with Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, according to two people familiar with the situation. GUR did not respond to requests for comment.

The meeting in Abu Dhabi follows progress made over the weekend in talks between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Geneva as officials from the two countries try to draft a text to present to their presidents.

On Tuesday, a senior member of the Ukrainian peace talks delegation indicated the possibility of an imminent meeting at the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky to determine the most sensitive remaining issues.

“We look forward to organizing a visit by the Ukrainian president to the United States at the earliest appropriate date in November to complete the final steps and conclude an agreement with President Trump,” said Rustam Omerov, Secretary of the country’s National Security and Defense Council.

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said Monday that there were no plans “at this moment” for Trump and Zelensky to meet in person.

The talks in the UAE come after days of high-stakes meetings in Kiev and Geneva during which Driscoll delivered the Trump administration’s controversial 28-point peace plan to Zelensky.

Negotiations in Geneva resulted in a new 19-point peace agreement that was more favorable to Kiev than the previous framework. But he left the most politically sensitive elements — which include regional issues and relations between NATO, Russia and the United States — to be decided by heads of state, according to Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kyslytsya.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, took “separate paths to continue those pieces on their end,” the US official said, adding that Driscoll “was able to continue the talks.”

“Driscoll has been involved in this very hot and heavy peace process in the last few days,” the US official said, referring to talks with Ukrainian officials in recent days. “He was obviously very involved, so he’s able to get this piece to Russia.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the Abu Dhabi talks.

On the Ukrainian side, Zelensky appointed Budanov on Saturday as part of the nine-person delegation authorized to “participate in the negotiation process” with the United States and Russia to achieve a “just and lasting peace.”

The head of military intelligence has overseen some of Ukraine’s most daring attacks on the Kremlin’s military and covert operations inside Russia including assassinations and long-range drone strikes.

Budanov and the GUR maintained one of the few open lines of communication with Russia during the war, allowing the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and discussion of other issues.

In his evening speech on Monday, Zelensky said that Ukrainian negotiators had fully briefed him on the results of the previous day’s talks, and he now believed that “the necessary steps to end the war can become implementable.”

“After Geneva, there are fewer points – no longer 28 points – and many correct elements have been taken into account in this framework,” he said.

Zelensky added that there is still a lot of work ahead to finalize the document, saying that he will soon discuss “sensitive issues with President Trump.”

The talks in the Gulf state come as Moscow targeted energy infrastructure and bombed residential buildings in an overnight attack on Kiev, killing at least six people and wounding 13 others, according to city officials.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France and other European countries are scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential ceasefire.

Since being stunned by the emergence of the 28-point plan last week, Kiev’s European allies have rushed to support Zelensky and pushed back on some of the more controversial points.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned of an agreement that amounted to Ukraine’s “surrender” and encouraged Russia to “move towards other Europeans and put our entire security at risk.”

Speaking to radio station RTL, Macron added that only Kiev should decide on territorial concessions, while the use of frozen Russian assets located in Europe should be decided by Europe.

He added that France, the United Kingdom, Turkey and other countries would also be prepared to provide a “reassurance force” away from the front line to provide training and security.

Additional reporting by Henry Foy in Brussels and Ian Johnston in Paris