WORLD NEWS
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have convened a second round of United States-brokered talks in the United Arab Emirates as efforts continue to find a resolution to Russia’s nearly four-year war on Ukraine.
The delegations arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, with the US delegation’s arrival still pending, according to Russian state media and Ukrainian officials. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s negotiating team, said on social media that Kyiv is aiming “to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
The two-day trilateral talks follow last month’s first round, the first public engagement on a plan proposed by former US President Donald Trump to end the conflict, Europe’s deadliest since World War II. However, progress has been slow, and the path to agreement remains uncertain.
Tensions ahead of the talks have been heightened by a large Russian drone and missile strike targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, knocking out power and heating amid freezing temperatures. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, asserting that “attitudes in Moscow have not changed” and that Russia continues to prioritize war over diplomacy.
Key Issues and Sticking Points
The main obstacles to a deal remain the long-term status of territory in eastern Ukraine and security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of the Donbas and seeks international recognition of the regions it has annexed. Ukraine, however, insists that the conflict should be frozen along current front lines and rejects any one-sided territorial concessions.
The Ukrainian delegation is led by Umerov, head of the National Security and Defence Council, while Russia is represented by Igor Kostyukov, director of Russian military intelligence, and attended by presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. US special envoy Steve Witkoff described recent US-mediated discussions with Russia as “productive and constructive.”
With Russia occupying roughly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, Kyiv warns that ceding land could embolden Moscow. Opinion polls show strong public opposition in Ukraine to any deal that trades territory for peace.
The Ongoing Conflict
On the battlefield, Russia has made incremental territorial gains at a high human cost, while Ukraine continues to press for Western military support and sanctions to deter further Russian advances. As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, the outcome of the UAE negotiations could play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of the conflict.
While hopes for a breakthrough remain cautious, diplomats and negotiators stress that the talks, however incremental, are a critical platform for maintaining dialogue amid ongoing hostilities.
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