'Ukraine, Russia, US talks set for Abu Dhabi in Nov'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday that Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have agreed to hold technical-level peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi between November and early December. Zelenskiy expressed hope that a summit of the three countries' leaders would follow these talks. The Ukrainian leader spoke with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Any potential peace agreement would require robust security assurances for Ukraine and a decade's worth of funding to sustain the Ukrainian military.

Zelenskiy emphasized the necessity of strong security guarantees and funding for Ukraine's army in any peace deal. He also noted that the timing of the talks would largely depend on Russia, as a similar meeting in October had not yet taken place. Zelenskiy stressed the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire and end the five-year conflict, urging Europe to participate in the negotiations.

The Ukrainian president also highlighted that Ukraine's military continued to struggle with access to Starlink communications systems, despite US assurances that speed restrictions had been lifted. Additionally, Ukraine is awaiting a shipment of air defense interceptors promised in previous agreements, which compounds the nation's defensive challenges against Russian drone and missile attacks.