In brief

• Zelensky said Finland's and Norway's leaders told him Russia appears serious about a technical-team meeting in Abu Dhabi in November.
• The agenda covers de-escalation steps on energy and at sea, prisoner exchanges, and the format of a possible leaders-level meeting.
• Zelensky wants the Abu Dhabi talks held before any US-China-Russia summit and warned against a new great-power carve-up.

Finnish and Norwegian leaders relay Moscow's signals

Zelensky told reporters that Finland's president and Norway's prime minister phoned him right after their call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning. According to Zelensky, the two leaders came away with the impression that Moscow is serious about meeting in Abu Dhabi. (Зеленський: Є відчуття, що РФ серйозно налаштована на зустріч в Абу-Дабі – Українська правда) (Є відчуття, що РФ серйозно налаштована, – Зеленський про потенційну зустріч в Абу-Дабі після розмови зі Стуббом і Стьоре – Espreso) (Лідери Норвегії і Фінляндії відчули, що росіяни серйозно налаштовані на зустріч в Абу-Дабі, - Зеленський – UNIAN)

Agenda for the technical talks

Zelensky said the topics would include first de-escalation steps and Ukraine's priorities, above all security issues, along with ending the war in general. He listed possible de-escalation steps on energy and at sea, an exchange and return of prisoners, and discussion of the format for a possible leaders-level trilateral meeting. (Зеленський розкрив деталі нових переговорів з Путіним: про що домовлятимуться в Абу-Дабі – TSN) He said this agenda had been discussed with American partners.

Abu Dhabi versus a Trump-Putin-Xi summit

Zelensky said Ukraine would like the Abu Dhabi meeting of Ukrainian, US and Russian teams to take place before any possible talks between the United States, China and Russia. (Зеленський: Ми хотіли б переговори в Абу-Дабі до зустрічі Трампа, Путіна і Сі – Українська правда) He said he had not yet seen the format of such a summit, but noted that the Middle East and Ukraine would almost certainly be on the agenda. (Зеленський попередив про “нову Ялту”: що може стояти за зустріччю США, Китаю та РФ – TSN) He warned against a scenario he called "Yalta-2, 3, 4", in which the great powers redivide spheres of influence, and said Moscow has the strongest interest in such a summit.

Background

On October 21, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, Putin said Russia was ready to resume trilateral talks on Ukraine in the first half of November. (Зеленський заявив про найсильніші позиції України на фронті за тривалий час війни – Espreso) On the same day, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin had told the Finnish and Norwegian leaders that Zelensky would be guaranteed all conditions, including security, if he visited Moscow. Ushakov added that a leaders-level contact would make sense only after the negotiations are complete and documents are ready to sign. (Зеленський поїде до Москви?: помічник Путіна натякнув на можливу зустріч лідерів двох країн – TSN)