Marco Rubio said on November 8 that negotiators had made some progress on what postwar security arrangements for Ukraine and Europe could look like. He described security guarantees as a recurring priority, but stressed that no agreement had been finalized. The planned Abu Dhabi talks could advance the discussion; they were not evidence that a deal was already in place.
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What Rubio said about Trump’s “big” deal
President Donald Trump had said a prospective agreement could involve more than Ukraine—even “all of Europe.”
7 Rubio suggested Trump was referring to progress on security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe, rather than announcing a completed settlement.
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That distinction matters: the discussion concerned a possible postwar security framework, while its terms and enforcement remained unsettled. Reporting described the US as exploring a broader European security arrangement alongside guarantees for Ukraine.
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Abu Dhabi talks: schedule, agenda and participants
US-mediated talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives were scheduled for November 10–11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. The stated agenda included ending the war, postwar security agreements and de-escalation.
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The meeting was described as the first trilateral Russia–Ukraine–US peace talks since February.
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37 US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were reported as taking part in the mediation.
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45 One report named Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, and senior military officials Igor Kostyukov and Yuri Zhigarlovsky as part of Russia’s delegation.
45 The available reporting does not establish a complete Ukrainian delegation list.
European involvement was initially described as consultations alongside the talks, with a broader format possible if progress was made.
42 On November 8, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Europeans would participate and that France would be represented in Abu Dhabi.
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18 The reporting therefore points to European participation, though it does not specify every country’s role or the exact format.
Kushner’s five proposed security goals
After Brussels discussions with Ukrainian, NATO and European partners, Jared Kushner described work on security guarantees for Kyiv and a broader European security framework.
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47 The five stated goals were:
- Permanent security consultations.
- Reliable crisis communications.
- Greater military transparency.
- Reciprocal steps to reduce escalation risks.
- A lasting framework for long-term European security and stability.
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The proposal was presented as a framework for practical arrangements, not an agreed package of guarantees. Kushner’s outline also emphasized respect for countries’ sovereign choices and a continuing central role for NATO in European collective defense.
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What remained in the way of an agreement
Several issues remained difficult. European governments argued that Russia should end the war before its security concerns were addressed; unresolved questions included Ukraine’s guarantees, possible Article 5-style support and Russia’s opposition to Western troops in Ukraine.
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The negotiating format was also sensitive: some early reporting described European partners being consulted on the sidelines before any expanded format, while France later said Europeans would participate directly.
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42 European officials were concerned that Ukraine should not be pushed into accepting disadvantageous terms.
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The contrast between diplomacy and conditions on the ground was stark. Reporting said Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk’s electricity system left crews working to restore power to about 600,000 people.
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The available reporting supports a limited conclusion: discussions had advanced on the outline of a Ukraine-and-Europe security framework, but the guarantees, enforcement, and negotiating format were not settled.
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