Melania Trump to host Ukraine-Russia talks as peace push continues

Key Points:

• Russia confirmed that peace talks with Ukraine and the U.S. will take place on November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi, with Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky as Moscow's chief negotiator.
• The Kremlin also expressed hopes to finalize plans for a trilateral meeting between Presidents Putin, Trump, and Xi Jinping to discuss ending the conflict, though Ukraine's President Zelenskyy insists any talks must include Kyiv.
• First Lady Melania Trump will host a summit at the White House on Thursday with Russian and Ukrainian representatives to discuss the ceasefire in the Kherson region, which ended Monday amid accusations from Ukraine that Russia used the pause to strengthen military positions.
• U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Washington will mediate the upcoming peace talks focusing on security, de-escalation, and humanitarian issues, and U.S. negotiators will also meet with European and NATO officials to discuss post-war security guarantees and Ukraine's reconstruction.
• Tensions remain high between the U.S. and Ukraine due to ongoing strikes and recent moves by the Trump administration that have raised questions about U.S. reliability as Kyiv's key military partner.