Abu Dhabi — Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled to meet for a second round of United States-brokered peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, as efforts to find a diplomatic end to nearly four years of war continue amid ongoing violence.
The two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi begin against a tense backdrop, with the Russian delegation arriving Wednesday morning, according to Russian state media. It was not immediately clear whether U.S. or Ukrainian delegates had arrived at the venue at the same time.
The talks follow a week of intense Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned as violations of a temporary pause previously brokered by U.S. officials. Heavy bombardment of power plants and grids in recent days has left large parts of the country without heat and electricity during severe winter weather.
“Each such Russian strike confirms that attitudes in Moscow have not changed,” Zelenskyy said Tuesday, accusing Moscow of prioritizing war and destruction over diplomacy. “They continue to bet on war and the destruction of Ukraine… and they do not take diplomacy seriously,” he said, without outlining specific adjustments to Ukraine’s negotiating strategy.
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Many Ukrainians are not optimistic about a breakthrough in Abu Dhabi. “There was very little progress in the first round of talks,” said Audrey Macalpine, reporting from Africa Today News. While some in Ukraine hope the second round may bring a renewed pause in attacks on energy infrastructure, skepticism remains widespread.
The first round of direct public negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials was also held in the UAE last month. It centered on a peace plan proposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been actively involved in efforts to facilitate dialogue and eventual conflict resolution.
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Despite months of diplomacy, key issues — including territorial disputes, security guarantees, and ceasefire terms — remain unresolved. As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches later this month, prospects for a major breakthrough appear uncertain. The war, which began in February 2022, is Europe’s largest and deadliest conflict since World War II and has reshaped global geopolitics.
Officials from all sides have said that the Abu Dhabi talks are an important step, even if progress is incremental, underscoring a continued — if fragile — commitment to negotiation amid ongoing fighting.