E-Paper
Russia, Ukraine and US set for trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi; Zelensky hopes for ‘substantive discussions’
Announcing the dates, Zelensky said he is hopeful for “substantial discussions” which could lead to the end of the four-year war.
Russia, Ukraine and the United States are all set for trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi as part of the negotiations to end the ongoing war in Kyiv. As per Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the talks are set to take place on February 4 and 5.
"Our negotiating team has just delivered a report. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set – February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi," wrote Zelensky on X.
“Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,” he added further.
The announcement for the new phase of US-brokered talks comes days after US President Donald Trump announced a week-long truce between Russia and Ukraine due to the frigid temperatures in the region.
Ukraine is currently bracing itself for a cold snap, with temperatures expected to drop to -20 degrees Celsius, adding to wartime hardships in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine which have been plunged into cold and darkness due to blackouts.
However, the Kremlin later confirmed that the pause of only requested till February 1 to create “favourable conditions for peace negotiations”.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who agreed to halt its attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine, however, reacted to the news stating that it will only stop its attacks if Moscow does the same.
Following Trump's announcement and confirmation from Russia and Ukraine, both nations confirmed that they had halted strikes on each other's energy infrastructure.
"In all our regions, there were indeed no strikes on energy facilities from Thursday night to Friday," Zelensky said in a nightly video address, adding that Kyiv stands ready to refrain from strikes.
The last attack on Ukraine was recorded was on Thursday, just as Trump announced the truce. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched a ballistic missile and 111 drones, which damaged warehouses of the American company Philip Morris in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Territorial dispute remains unresolved
Among the several issues on cards for the Ukraine peace talks, a key issue is the territorial dispute between the two nations. Russia stands firm on acquiring the Donbas region, which Ukraine has stated that it will not cede.
The Donbas region refers to the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. At present, Russia occupies Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and partially occupies Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in the south and east of Ukraine after the 2022 invasion.
