Before the talks in Abu Dhabi: the BBC reported on Russia's and Ukraine's

What the BBC reported

Ukraine and Russia have privately shown writes the BBC, citing American officials. According to one unnamed American official, the parties' public refusal to budge from their positions may be rhetoric:

The main point of disagreement

The key point of disagreement remains Donbas. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from the territory it holds, while Kyiv seeks to freeze the line of contact. Publicly, neither side has abandoned these demands. At the same time, the same official noted that the issues are interconnected:

Talks in Abu Dhabi

On November 10 and 11, talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, mediated by the United States, will take place in Abu Dhabi. This is the first meeting in a trilateral format after a break of almost nine months. The parties intend to discuss the terms of a ceasefire, security guarantees, and humanitarian issues. Gazeta.Ru notes separately, that Budanov previously named the topicthat Ukraine will pay great attention to at this meeting — which specific topic is meant is not disclosed in the available materials.