New Delhi: US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine ended in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday with an agreement in principle on a major prisoner exchange but no ceasefire or breakthrough on territory. A day later, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said renewed restrictions on a US-linked satellite communications service were undermining his military’s ability to intercept Russian drones.
The November 10–11 negotiations were the first direct meetings between the two sides in nine months. The Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem Umerov and the Russian presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, led their delegations, with the American envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff mediating.
Both sides agreed in principle to a major prisoner exchange, with the numbers expected to be determined on Thursday, Reuters reported. The US envoy, Jared Kushner described it as potentially the largest humanitarian release of prisoners during the war, while Zelenskyy called the proposed exchange significant. However, its final scale and implementation timetable remain unconfirmed.
Territorial disputes remain unresolved
Kushner called the discussions a useful start but acknowledged that mutual distrust persisted. Russia continues to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from the remaining Kyiv-held areas of Donbas, while Ukraine rejects territorial surrender without credible security guarantees.
Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia described the discussions as difficult, saying Russia’s delegation had arrived with strict instructions, but acknowledged some momentum towards a settlement. Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, offered a more optimistic assessment, suggesting that an agreement was closer while cautioning that progress depended on Ukraine, the United States and Europe’s positions, Reuters reported.
Europe’s participation is another unresolved issue. European representatives consulted Ukrainian and US delegates separately in Abu Dhabi, but Russia declined to meet them, according to Reuters.
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with the president, Vladimir Putin, as RNA Media reported earlier. They were then expected in Dublin for discussions with Zelenskyy, with Washington seeking to narrow differences left unresolved in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy warns of renewed Starshield restrictions
In a Thursday post on X, Zelenskyy said he had received briefings from the defence minister, Yevhenii Khmara and military chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi about significant disruptions to Starshield operations across the Ukrainian front line and Russian-occupied territories. He said systematic restrictions were disrupting satellite connectivity when equipment moved faster than approximately 161 kilometres per hour (100mph).
Starshield is SpaceX’s military-oriented satellite communications service, distinct from its consumer-focused Starlink offering. The reported limit affects connectivity on fast-moving equipment, not the physical speed of drones or aircraft.
Zelenskyy warned that the restrictions were severely hampering Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. “Unfortunately, there have already been strikes that got through because our interception systems cannot reach sufficient speeds and are unable to intercept in time,” he wrote in his Thursday post on X. Describing the restrictions as systematic rather than random technical errors, he added: “We are trying to establish all the circumstances with the American side.”
‘Earlier restrictions linked to White House’
The complaints revive questions raised by restrictions in October. In an October 15 exclusive, Reuters reported, citing two US officials and a Western official, that an instruction to limit Starshield had originated inside the White House; a senior US official denied Trump personally requested it.
The Ukraine’s defence ministry subsequently announced on October 24 that connectivity had been restored on equipment moving above 400 kilometers per hour. There is no evidence that the November restrictions have the same cause or that they were linked to the peace negotiations, where a Ukrainian official said the issue was not raised.
Fighting continues despite talks
Fighting continued throughout the diplomatic push. Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks on six electricity substations and a market in the Odesa region, while Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone strikes.
The proposed prisoner exchange offers a possible humanitarian gain, but territorial disputes and security guarantees still block an agreement. Meanwhile, Kyiv faces continuing attacks and unanswered questions about a communications service used by some of its frontline systems.