MOSCOW: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5, as diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year war show tentative movement but remain fraught with uncertainty.
In a statement posted on Telegram on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s negotiating team had confirmed the dates for the next meetings, adding that Kyiv was ready for “substantive talks” aimed at achieving a “real and dignified end” to the war with Russia. Neither Moscow nor Washington has publicly confirmed the talks.
The planned negotiations would follow a first round held in late January that appeared to make little progress on core issues, particularly territory. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede parts of the Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control — a condition Ukraine has firmly rejected.
Zelenskyy said envoys from all three countries were expected to meet in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday, as pressure mounts from the United States to reach a deal. US President Donald Trump, who has described himself as a “peacemaker”, has repeatedly said an agreement is close.
Last week, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week due to severe winter conditions. The Kremlin said it would halt such attacks until Sunday, while Ukraine appeared to believe the suspension would last longer, highlighting continued ambiguity over the terms.
Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff said he held “constructive” talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida, attended by senior US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Witkoff said he was encouraged that Moscow was working toward peace.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, told Reuters on Sunday that Russia would soon achieve military victory, while praising Trump’s mediation efforts. He also said preventing future conflicts would be essential after any victory.
Despite talk of a temporary energy ceasefire, Ukraine said Russian attacks continued to target logistics and connectivity. Regional officials reported that two people were killed in a drone strike on a residential building in Dnipro. In contrast, six others were wounded in an attack on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia.
