Nov 12, 2026, 08:30 PM UTC

Trilateral negotiations between Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi have entered their second day, with discussions primarily yielding initial progress on a prisoner of war exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the first day of negotiations as "constructive and pretty substantive," noting that discussions covered humanitarian concerns and initial security parameters.

While humanitarian dialogue moves forward, strategic peace concepts remain contentious. Among proposals brokered by the United States is a suggested administrative restructuring of Ukraine's Donetsk region. Under this concept, unoccupied areas of Donetsk would merge into neighboring administrative units, effectively leaving the remainder within Russia's claimed boundaries. Additionally, ideas regarding Russia's potential re-entry into European energy markets face firm resistance from European leaders while military action persists.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainska Pravda

Intense fighting persists across Eastern Ukraine, with over 150 combat engagements reported within 24 hours. Russian forces are attempting advances on the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka axes, though independent analysts note their momentum near Sloviansk and Kupyansk has stalled due to Ukrainian counterattacks. However, Russian troops have widened their control south of Dobropillia and claimed a new settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Concurrently, Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure have triggered broad blackouts. Over 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast were left without electricity, alongside severe heating disruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside Russia, several regional authorities implemented fuel sales restrictions following Ukrainian drone strikes against eight major oil refineries over a two-week span.

Sources: Belsat, NEXTA, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда.

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin following two days of trilateral peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. representatives are scheduled to travel next to Ireland for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While the Abu Dhabi sessions concluded without a major breakthrough in ending the nearly five-year conflict, negotiators focused on post-war security framework arrangements intended to reduce tensions between Russia and NATO allies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the discussions as "very productive," noting plans to eventually include broader European participation in future rounds.

Significant disagreements remain, particularly regarding territorial control. Ahead of the summit, President Zelenskyy firmly rejected ceding the eastern Donbas region, warning that any territorial concessions would encourage further Russian aggression.

Sources: BBC News, France24, Politico Europe (Defense), Sweden Herald, The Guardian.

U.S. federal agencies and Nvidia’s board of directors are continuing their evaluation of potential security risks following an alleged Chinese intelligence operation targeting Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang. The investigation centers on Huang's extra-marital relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed whom Washington suspects of seeking sensitive semiconductor data for Beijing.

While Jensen Huang acknowledged his marital infidelity to staff without disclosing his partner's identity, he denied knowing about any espionage efforts during a discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump noted his surprise regarding the allegations while confirming that the FBI is examining the matter. Internal probes by Nvidia have revealed no evidence of compromised corporate or government secrets, although the fallout briefly impacted the company's market stock value.

Sources: Hospodářské noviny, Money, Rzeczpospolita, Seznam Zprávy, TVP info.

Tehran has threatened to target U.S. military bases located across Europe if Washington uses them to support military operations against Iran. The warning from Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei follows recent political shifts in Washington after the U.S. midterm elections, which appear to have prompted a temporary reduction in immediate U.S. strike threats.

Despite the pause in broad aerial campaigns, maritime confrontations in the Strait of Hormuz continue to intensify. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that three commercial tankers caught fire or exploded after hitting naval mines or encountering incidents in the passage, affecting vessels carrying over four million barrels of crude oil. Concurrently, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that military operations against Iran remain unfinished, while Iranian state media denied reports of direct missile strikes on domestic infrastructure.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, Daily Sabah, France24, Sweden Herald, Trend News Agency.