CBS News | November 10, 2026
“I think the fact that they're even having these talks shows a certain degree of progress.”
CBS News contributor Elliot Ackerman joins The Daily Report to discuss the opening of U.S., Russian and Ukrainian peace talks in Abu Dhabi. He sees an opportunity for negotiations, while cautioning that meaningful progress will require concessions and that an immediate breakthrough is unlikely.
A Window for Negotiations
Ackerman connects the talks to changing political conditions in the United States following the elections and looking ahead to 2028. In his assessment, a shift in power in Congress and the approaching end of the Trump era could weaken Russia’s position and create room for a negotiated settlement.
He also points to Ukraine’s continued ability to hold its own on the battlefield as part of the context for negotiations. He presents these developments as a possible opening, rather than a prediction that an agreement is close.
Security Guarantees, Prisoners and Territory
Asked what he expects from the talks, Ackerman answers: “I don't think anything immediately.”
He identifies Ukraine’s priorities as security guarantees, prisoner releases and clarity about its postwar future. Russia, he says, wants territorial concessions, including all of Donetsk and Ukrainian land it has not been able to take militarily.
Those competing demands leave a substantial gap between the two sides. Ackerman’s emphasis is on what each would need from an agreement and the difficult questions that remain unresolved.
Why Fighting Continues During Talks
Ackerman expects the war to continue while negotiations are underway, as each side tries to improve its bargaining position through gains on the battlefield.
“The way that the combatants communicate with each other is by fighting.”
Looking toward winter, he warns that Russia is likely to continue attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, a tactic he describes as making the season particularly brutal for Ukrainians. His analysis places diplomacy alongside the military pressure that continues to shape it.
Watch the CBS News Conversation
Watch the full segment above for Ackerman’s assessment of the talks, the changing political window and the distance between Russia’s and Ukraine’s negotiating positions.
Original report and source credit: CBS News, The Daily Report, November 10, 2026.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/russia-and-ukraine-engage-in-peace-talks-in-abu-dhabi-with-us-help/