Ukraine and Russia begin second round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi | Ukraine
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began the second round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi as Washington seeks a way to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
The two-day trilateral talks, which begin on Wednesday, come after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of exploiting a US-backed energy ceasefire last week to stockpile weapons before launching a record number of ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday.
Despite the Trump administration’s renewed diplomatic efforts, prospects for a workable peace deal remain uncertain as Moscow continues to press its maximalist territorial demands. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that any agreement must include Ukraine’s entire eastern Donbas region, including areas still under Ukrainian control. Kiev has rejected such terms, saying the conflict should be frozen on the current front line and ruled out a unilateral withdrawal of its forces.
Other significant obstacles remain. Moscow has said it will not tolerate the presence of European troops on Ukrainian territory, a condition that Kiev sees as necessary for reliable security guarantees. Speaking in the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said European allies were committed to deploying forces to Ukraine once an agreement was reached; A proposal that Russia has so far flatly rejected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russian forces will continue to fight until Kiev makes “decisions” that could end the war, underscoring Moscow’s hardline stance even as negotiations continue.
Before the talks, Kiev suffered a diplomatic blow when Trump refused to condemn Russia for striking Ukraine’s energy network with missiles and drones despite an apparent ceasefire.
Writing after the attacks, Zelenskyy called on Western governments to condemn the attacks and said, “Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important for Russia than turning to diplomacy.”
Trump said later Tuesday that Vladimir Putin had “kept his word” on the ceasefire, adding that Russia’s pause in attacks would only last until Sunday.
The second round of talks was originally scheduled to begin in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, but postponed Until Wednesday due to rising tensions in the region due to Iran.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner went to Abu Dhabi for negotiations. The two men have become fixtures in US diplomacy, bouncing between talks on the Middle East, the Iran crisis and the Ukraine war, but have faced criticism for their lack of formal diplomatic experience.
The Ukrainian team includes former military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, who now runs the presidential administration, and chief of staff Andrii Hnatov. The Russian delegation is led by GRU military intelligence service chief Igor Kostyukov, other senior intelligence officials and the Kremlin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
A possible meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is being discussed, but the Kremlin has said it would agree to such talks only if the Ukrainian leader is willing to travel to Moscow.
In a display of wartime harmony, Putin held a video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, with both leaders praising the strength of bilateral relations.
China has become a vital economic lifeline for Russia, stepping up trade and purchases of Russian oil as Western sanctions tighten. While Ukraine and some European governments accuse Beijing of supplying arms to Russia, China denies these allegations.
Washington has previously pressured India, another close partner of Moscow, to restrict its purchases of Russian oil, which the West says is financing Putin’s war.
