Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met yesterday in Abu Dhabi to discuss the critical territorial issue, without reaching any agreement. There are currently no signs of compromise, while continued Russian airstrikes have led Ukraine into its most serious energy crisis since the war began.
At the same time, Kyiv faces increasing pressure from the United States to move toward a peace agreement in the war that erupted after the Russian invasion in February 2022. Moscow sets as a condition for ending the conflict the surrender of the entire industrial region of Donbas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the territorial issue is a key focus of the talks being conducted in the United Arab Emirates, which are expected to conclude today. “The most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end the war it started itself,” Zelensky said in a message on the Telegram app. “We will see how tomorrow’s [today’s] discussion goes and what the result will be,” he added.
This was the first time Ukraine, Russia and the US had begun trilateral talks since Russia’s military invasion began in February 2022.
The highest-level summit of the three parties since the war began comes as Ukraine experiences a harsh winter with much of its energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
The talks follow the seventh meeting between Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the main topics of discussion were Russia’s territorial demands and Ukraine’s security guarantees, which Zelensky said were agreed upon with Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
New deadly airstrikes by Russia on Ukraine, shortly after US talks in Abu Dhabi
Missile and drone attacks targeted Ukraine’s capital, according to the country’s air force, which activated air defenses, hours after the Abu Dhabi meeting.
At least one person was killed and four people were injured in the attacks, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He added that falling debris caused fires and damage to buildings, while some areas of the city were left without heating and water.
Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv in the northeast, was also attacked. A maternity hospital and a dormitory for displaced people were damaged, according to city mayor Ihor Terekhov. At least 11 people were injured.
