Nov 13, 2026, 07:30 PM UTC

Following preliminary trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi, U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conducted diplomatic visits to Moscow and Ireland. The envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin before consulting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While initial negotiations concluded without a definitive breakthrough to end the conflict, officials indicated progress regarding long-term planning. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the talks as "very productive," noting that substantial efforts remain necessary. Discussions centered on reviewing post-war European security frameworks to reduce friction between Russia and NATO members. Both American and Ukrainian representatives confirmed that European delegates will directly participate in upcoming negotiation rounds to help forge a durable continental agreement.

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

Trilateral peace negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States concluded in Abu Dhabi, marking the first such summit since February 2026. The talks centered on potential ceasefire terms, security guarantees, and disputed territories, with Moscow introducing a proposal to draft bilateral non-aggression treaties with select NATO member states.

Despite the diplomatic engagement in the United Arab Emirates, Moscow maintained a rigid territorial stance. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky asserted that "every inch of Russian land will be recovered, one way or another," while dismissing Western media coverage. Concurrently, heavy fighting continued on the ground. Overnight Russian bombardments targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands of residents across the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions ahead of winter.

Sources: Adevărul, HotNews, Moldova1, TV8, Ziarul de Gardă.

Global tech disruptions caused by a internal Microsoft system error persisted into Friday, continuously affecting Outlook, Teams, Word, and Copilot users across 74 countries. Although engineers observed brief progress after restarting core infrastructure, server capacity broke down again as live traffic resumed.

Microsoft confirmed that the issue stems from an internal process failure that overwhelmed secure connections rather than a cyberattack. Officials noted that remediation efforts remain ongoing as technical teams test network rollbacks and configuration updates to restore service stability.

To limit operational harm during the extended downtime, Microsoft announced it is prioritizing recovery operations for emergency, safety, and public sector infrastructure worldwide.

Sources: The Guardian, The Herald, STV News, Cyprus Mail, BBC News

Russian authorities and occupation courts continue to impose severe sentences on Ukrainian civilians under espionage and treason charges. In occupied Donetsk, an 18-year-old resident of Mariupol received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being accused of passing military information to Ukrainian intelligence and possessing explosives. Concurrently, human rights reporting highlighted the urgent hospitalization of a 68-year-old Ukrainian woman, who was previously sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for transferring funds to the Ukrainian armed forces, following a rapid decline in her health at a penal colony in Vologda.

Separately, Ukrainian forces reportedly captured the first Indonesian prisoner of war serving in a Russian assault unit in Zaporizhzhia region. The capture highlights a broader trend, with Ukrainian state initiatives recording a sharp increase in foreign enlistment into Russian military forces.

Sources: Mediazona, Українська правда, NV, Радіо Свобода, NEXTA

United States lawmakers are intensifying pressure on ousted Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang following his resignation over alleged extramarital affairs, including one involving a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.

Key Congressional figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, are seeking formal testimony and briefings from Huang, Nvidia's general counsel, and US Commerce Department officials. Congressional leaders reported a growing consensus on Capitol Hill regarding tighter controls on semiconductor exports to China to safeguard proprietary technology and national security.

In response to the leadership void, Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has assumed the role of interim chief executive while the board searches for a permanent successor.

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian