US and Russian officials to meet in Abu Dhabi for Ukraine peace talks after deadly overnight strikes

November 25, 2025

Washington: US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Monday to discuss a potential plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to a US official who spoke to the sources.

The discussions, which will continue Tuesday, come after several days of intense diplomatic activity as Washington attempts to revive momentum toward a negotiated resolution.

The meeting followed US-Ukraine talks in Geneva over the weekend and is intended to prepare the ground for higher-level engagements.

The official noted that the Russian delegation’s presence comes with President Vladimir Putin’s approval. Driscoll is the most senior American representative in Abu Dhabi aside from diplomats, though the composition of the Russian delegation remains unclear.

US, Ukraine and Russia Assess Evolving Peace Proposal

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that President Donald Trump is “hopeful and optimistic that a deal can be struck” to end the conflict, following negotiations in Geneva over a 28-point peace plan drafted by the US with input from Kyiv and Moscow.

The initial draft included significant concessions to Moscow, such as Kyiv relinquishing territory, abandoning its NATO aspirations, and reducing the size of its armed forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that the updated proposal now contains “fewer points than 28, and many proper considerations have been taken into account in this framework.”

He added that the Ukrainian negotiators have returned from Geneva and “reported on the new draft of steps,” calling it “the right approach” and saying, “I will discuss sensitive issues with President Trump.”

While the Kremlin has offered limited comment, Putin said the US plan “in principle, could form the basis for a final peace settlement.”

He noted that the version seen by Moscow aligns with discussions from the earlier US-Russia summit in Alaska, though it is unclear if it remains the same following recent US-Ukraine consultations.

Conflict Intensifies With Deadly Strikes on Both Sides

Even as diplomatic efforts advance, hostilities escalated overnight. Russia launched 22 missiles and 460 drones into Ukraine, killing six and injuring 13, according to Zelensky.

He said the attacks caused “extensive damage to residential buildings and civilian infrastructure” in Kyiv and targeted “the energy sector and everything that keeps normal life going.”

Two people — including an 86-year-old woman — died after a fire engulfed a residential building in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, confirmed that four more civilians were killed in the Svyatoshynskyi district.

In Russia, three people died and eight were injured in a major Ukrainian drone strike, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The ministry reported intercepting 249 Ukrainian drones, including 116 launched over the Black Sea. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s military drone unit, described the attack as Kyiv’s “most productive” night in November and said it inflicted “deep damage” on Russian positions.