![Zelenskyy in Berlin Ahead of Abu Dhabi Peace Talks](https://cdn.slatesource.com/e/6/c/e6c8e937-f499-41b6-b7e3-4d7fff7a5588.webp) # Zelenskyy in Berlin Ahead of Abu Dhabi Peace Talks - [Made in Slatesource](https://slatesource.com/@steph/zelenskyy-in-berlin-ahead-of-abu-dhabi-peace-talks) - By [Steph](https://slatesource.com/@steph) - Created on Nov 3, 2026 Days since Russia's full-scale invasion 1,713 Ukrainians displaced (UN estimate) 14.6 million German aid to Ukraine in 2026 €11.5 billion Days to Abu Dhabi trilateral talks 7 Rounds of US-mediated talks so far 3 [axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/11/03/us-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-uae-trump-witkoff-kushner?utm_source=slatesource) Road to Abu Dhabi: Ukraine peace milestones01.11.2025 – 10.11.2026 01.11.2025First US-led Ukraine-Russia-US talks begin in Riyadh; energy-infrastructure pause agreed 01.11.2025 01.02.2026US and Israel launch Operation Epic Fury against Iran; Ukraine talks suspended 01.02.2026 08.05.2026Trump announces 3-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and prisoner swap 08.05.2026 05.09.2026Witkoff and Kushner visit Kyiv and Moscow; peace contacts renewed 05.09.2026 01.10.2026Witkoff meets Zelenskyy in Oslo and Putin in St. Petersburg; framework talks agreed 01.10.2026 04.10.2026Merz visits Kyiv; Ukraine and Germany sign 15 defense contracts worth €8.5B 04.10.2026 03.11.2026Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for unannounced talks with Merz ahead of Abu Dhabi 03.11.2026 03.11.2026Witkoff announces US-Russia-Ukraine working-level talks in Abu Dhabi 10–11 Nov 03.11.2026 10.11.2026Abu Dhabi trilateral talks — energy ceasefire, captives, security architecture 10.11.2026 [kyivindependent.com](https://kyivindependent.com/witkoff-reveals-location-date-for-new-trilateral-peace-deal-negotiations/?utm_source=slatesource) ## Where each side stands Party Ceasefire line Territory Security guarantees Ukraine Current front line No cessions; all occupied territory remains Ukrainian NATO membership or equivalent hard guarantees from US and Europe Russia Demands Ukraine withdraw from all four annexed oblasts Recognise annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Ukraine neutrality; no NATO; army size limits United States Pragmatic ceasefire on current line Does not endorse Russian annexation but seeks flexibility Supports European security architecture; no firm NATO offer yet [themoscowtimes.com](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/03/us-mediated-ukraine-peace-talks-to-resume-in-abu-dhabi-next-week-witkoff-says-a94160?utm_source=slatesource) ## What Abu Dhabi will discuss • Energy and maritime ceasefire — halting attacks on power plants and Black Sea shipping • Exchange of military and civilian captives — Ukraine estimates 30,000+ Ukrainian POWs held • Return of abducted Ukrainian children — UN documents at least 19,546 cases • De-escalation measures along the front line — observers, buffer zones • Next steps toward a formal peace framework — not a final peace treaty [axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/11/03/us-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-uae-trump-witkoff-kushner?utm_source=slatesource) ## What Abu Dhabi will not settle • The territorial question — Russia's annexation demands vs Ukraine's refusal to cede land • NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees for Ukraine — deferred to a later stage • Reparations and reconstruction funding — Zelenskyy asked Europe for €70B for 2027 • War crimes accountability — no mechanism agreed or on the agenda • Crimea — neither side has softened its position [newarab.com](https://www.newarab.com/news/us-mediate-ukraine-russia-talks-abu-dhabi-next-week-envoy?utm_source=slatesource) What happens next 25% Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin for talks with Merz — confirmed 3 Nov 2026 Witkoff announces Abu Dhabi talks for 10–11 Nov — confirmed 3 Nov 2026 US negotiators meet France, Germany, UK, EU and NATO in Brussels — this week Zelenskyy-Merz press conference outcomes published — midday 3 Nov Berlin Abu Dhabi working-level talks — 10–11 November 2026 If energy ceasefire agreed — phased halt to strikes on power infrastructure Leader-level summit — no date set; depends on working-level progress Formal peace framework — not expected before early 2027 at the earliest [kyivindependent.com](https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-to-berlin-on-nov-3-says-german-chancellor-2/?utm_source=slatesource) What is not confirmed: Zelenskyy-Merz press conference outcomes from the Berlin meeting on 3 Nov (meeting scheduled for midday local time; results not yet published at time of writing). Russia has not confirmed its Abu Dhabi delegation. Kremlin said attendance depends "in part on battlefield conditions." Abu Dhabi venue could change if the situation in the Middle East worsens. Sources: The Guardian 08:47 UTC 3 Nov (in-window); Axios 3 Nov 2026 (Witkoff announcement); Kyiv Independent; The Moscow [Axios: US, Russia and Ukraine to resume peace talks in Abu Dhabi — Witkoff](https://www.axios.com/2026/11/03/us-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-uae-trump-witkoff-kushner?utm_source=slatesource) [Kyiv Independent: Witkoff reveals location and date for new trilateral peace negotiations](https://kyivindependent.com/witkoff-reveals-location-date-for-new-trilateral-peace-deal-negotiations/?utm_source=slatesource) [The Moscow Times: US-mediated Ukraine peace talks to resume in Abu Dhabi next week](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/03/us-mediated-ukraine-peace-talks-to-resume-in-abu-dhabi-next-week-witkoff-says-a94160?utm_source=slatesource) [ ![Europe Launches First Ukraine Deployment Exercise](https://cdn.slatesource.com/e/a/9/ea950d8b-0414-4682-8f11-659df88f3e14.webp) Europe Launches First Ukraine Deployment ExerciseBy Steph ](/@steph/europe-launches-first-ukraine-deployment-exercise)