US-brokered trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine began November 10 in Abu Dhabi, the first such meeting since February, with security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial issues at the center. Washington has proposed arrangements modeled on NATO Articles 4 and 5 that would keep Ukraine outside the alliance while providing collective defense commitments, a framework Russia has long demanded as a condition for any settlement. Ukrainian officials have signaled openness to alternative guarantees equivalent in strength to NATO membership, including potential EU accession paths discussed in prior October proposals, though Kyiv continues to reject formal neutrality declarations or limits on its military. Both sides have shown limited private flexibility on territory, yet Russia maintains its core demand that Ukraine forgo NATO membership. European allies are participating in parallel discussions on postwar architecture but are not in the main trilateral format. These negotiations represent the primary near-term catalyst for any formal Ukrainian commitment on alliance status.