President Donald Trump announced that a "big, beautiful agreement" with Russia was close, saying the deal would go beyond Ukraine and could encompass "all of Europe," after meeting Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev at the White House on November 5 [13][36][42]. Trump stated that "for the first time" both Russia and Ukraine want to reach an agreement and that progress is being made [22][8]. Trump envoy Jared Kushner outlined five proposed directions for a future Russia-NATO framework: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communication channels, greater military transparency, reciprocal de-escalation measures, and a durable long-term European security system [38][42]. Kushner stated that the United States had held productive discussions with Ukraine, NATO, and European partners and that European allies would not be sidelined [21][23]. European officials told CNN they did not know what Trump's remarks referred to, and Kushner's statement made no mention of Russia being the invader or of Russian hybrid attacks [45]. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia talks would take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11 [19][38].
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas rejected the proposal, stating that Europe already has a security architecture through NATO and the EU and that "Putin does not have a veto over European security" [14][42]. European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said it would "obviously be up to the EU to decide on matters which affect its security" [6][18]. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned that any agreement on Ukraine and Europe's future made without European participation would be "not only unwise but practically impossible" [23][37]. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that "Über die Zukunft der Ukraine darf nicht ohne die Ukraine entschieden werden und über die Sicherheit Europas nicht ohne Europa" (Ukraine's future cannot be decided without Ukraine and Europe's security cannot be decided without Europe) [18]. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a letter to the European Council president, criticized the lack of coordination between negotiating formats and demanded that Europe appoint a common representative [37]. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Europe must have its place at the negotiating table on Ukraine's peace and the future European security architecture [42].
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the events of recent months give no reason to hope that Trump's approach will quickly produce a ceasefire, let alone peace [4][21]. Atlantic Council analyst John Herbst argued that Putin wants peace talks rather than peace, saying Moscow's agreement to the Abu Dhabi meeting is only procedural and that without real pressure on Russia the war will not end [20]. Financial Times sources cited by Novaya Gazeta Europe doubted the Abu Dhabi talks would yield a ceasefire, with Putin reportedly threatening to destroy all Ukrainian infrastructure [13]. Putin personally selected a delegation described by Hurriyet as a "şahinler ekibi" (hawks' team), led by Vladimir Medinsky and including deputy foreign ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin plus General Staff officials [8]. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that a new European security system should require former Warsaw Pact countries and the Baltic states to withdraw from NATO [20].
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a dialogue with Europe on a future continental security system is inevitable, but added that Moscow first needs to understand who can speak for Europe [12][39]. Peskov ruled out European participation in the Abu Dhabi meeting, citing the agreed trilateral format [38][41]. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the priority must be protecting Europe from Russian aggression rather than negotiating spheres of influence with the Kremlin [23]. Ukrainian parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arahamia said the Ukrainian delegation learned from the media about Dmitriev's meeting with Trump and speculated that US envoys are shifting focus toward a broader postwar European security architecture [28].
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke directly with Putin, with Støre saying it was important for the Russian leader to hear Europeans' views directly rather than through intermediaries [12][16]. Zelensky thanked both leaders for the call following a meeting in Oslo [49]. Finnish international politics expert Risto E.J. Penttilä argued that the two leaders were Europe's only way to get its voice into the process when nobody else acted [43]. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was "very skeptical" of the call and does not believe Russia wants peace with Ukraine or Europe [12][43]. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also reacted with skepticism [43].
Three days before the Abu Dhabi talks, Russia launched 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and twelve other regions, killing one person and wounding eight, with other counts putting the wounded at nine including a child, and damaging the Northern Bridge, a kindergarten, and a substation linking nuclear plants to Kyiv [2][7]. Zelensky said Russia is "preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine's critical infrastructure" [7]. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia "responds to peace efforts with even greater terror and destruction because it believes it can act with impunity" [19]. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova said life in Kyiv is becoming increasingly difficult, with many residents lacking water and facing hours-long power cuts [30]. Russia's Defense Ministry stated its strikes hit military-industrial and energy infrastructure, including a bridge used to transport weapons and a plant producing cruise missiles [2][7]. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, evacuees described round-the-clock shelling, with one woman saying "Стріляють і вдень, і вночі — немає спокою ніякого" (They shoot day and night — there is no peace at all) [48].
European intelligence services opened a cross-border investigation into whether coordinated bomb threats targeting dozens of European flights originated in Russia, with officials considering a Russian origin the most probable [1][33][35]. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the threats are "most likely a hybrid aggression and a form of psychological warfare" [24][34]. Former NATO intelligence official David Cattler warned that Europe cannot wait for Russian traces before protecting critical systems [34].
Washington is pushing to restart the Ukraine transit pipeline so Russian gas can return to Europe as an inducement to Putin, with escrow arrangements to keep revenues from funding the war [46]. EU Energy Commissioner Jørgensen said the ban on importing Russian gas should be permanent, and the EU has a legal obligation to end Russian gas purchases by end-2027 [46].
After the Democratic midterm sweep, Zelensky told ZDF that Democrats "speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine" [6]. Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow James Lindsay cautioned that Congress cannot dictate the terms of negotiations and that Trump retains broad foreign-policy authority [6]. Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Liana Fix warned that Europeans fear NATO and European security could become part of a deal with Moscow [15].
The Abu Dhabi trilateral talks are scheduled for November 10–11, with the Ukrainian delegation planning to discuss de-escalation measures in the energy sector and at sea, prisoner releases, and a possible trilateral summit format [20][21]. G7 foreign ministers are meeting in Paris, where Europeans intend to gauge Washington's tone on Ukraine and NATO [47].