Russia, Ukraine Begin US-Brokered Talks
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urged new military communication channels between Britain and Russia as Moscow and Kyiv held their first talks since February.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in International Relations
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Russian and Ukrainian officials began two days of US-brokered talks, their first since February, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner mediating. Relations between Moscow and most European capitals, including London, have been frozen since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters
Streeting said additional channels of communication, especially between the respective armed forces, would lower the risk of miscalculation. Russian forces hold about a fifth of Ukraine, and Trump predicted a peace deal could emerge soon.
The talks are the first Russia-Ukraine meeting since February, and they run for two days under US mediation. Russian forces hold about a fifth of Ukraine, and the extraction reports no agreed outcome from the sessions.
The players
Wes Streeting
British Defence Secretary who called for additional military-to-military communication channels with Russia to reduce the risk of miscalculation.
Steve Witkoff
US envoy serving as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine in the current negotiations.
Jared Kushner
US envoy co-mediating between the warring sides alongside Steve Witkoff.
Rustem Umerov
Kyiv's chief negotiator leading Ukraine's delegation in the talks with Russia.
The details
Russian and Ukrainian officials met at the start of two days of US-brokered talks. Kyiv's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said Ukrainian officials also met separately with European, NATO and EU representatives and the two American envoys.
Timeline
February 2022: Russia invaded Ukraine, freezing relations with most European capitals.
September: Russian and German foreign ministers met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Last week: Trump met privately with Putin's envoy at the White House.
November 10, 2026: Russian and Ukrainian officials began two days of US-brokered talks.
Roadmap
Relations between Moscow and most European capitals have been frozen since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the September Russia-Germany foreign minister meeting was the first such talks since then. These US-brokered negotiations extend that limited re-engagement to direct Russia-Ukraine contact.
Ongoing frozen relations between Moscow and European capitals shape diplomatic contact and communication channels that affect security across the region. Readers should watch whether the talks produce any agreed mechanism, since the extraction reports none so far.
The takeaway
The talks mark a rare opening after years of frozen contact, but the extraction reports no agreed outcome yet. Watching whether military communication channels or a settlement framework emerge will show whether the diplomacy is making real progress.
Further reading
Follow the latest developments in International Relations for context on the wider diplomatic standoff.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mail Online.
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