American, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations reconvened in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for the second round of trilateral discussions aimed at negotiating an end to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which will mark its fourth anniversary later this month, Baltimore Chronicle with reference to ABC.
The talks, scheduled to continue through Thursday, follow the first session held in Abu Dhabi last month. Both Kyiv and Moscow described the initial round as productive, though significant disagreements persist. Chief among these disputes is the status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Russia controls portions of the area and has demanded a full Ukrainian military withdrawal, a demand Kyiv has rejected. Another major point under negotiation is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, occupied by Russian forces since March 2022.
Additional contentious issues include post-war security guarantees from Western nations. Kyiv insists on binding U.S. involvement in these guarantees to prevent further Russian aggression. Moscow, however, has consistently opposed the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine following a conflict resolution. After discussions with U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev indicated that “some security guarantees in some form may be acceptable.”
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and head of the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed on Telegram that the talks had resumed. He outlined that negotiations would proceed in separate working groups before reconvening for a joint synchronization of positions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Moscow remains committed to its “special military operation” while keeping the door open for peace, as quoted by Russia’s Tass news agency.
The new round of talks comes after Ukraine endured extensive Russian drone and missile strikes on Monday night, which Ukrainian officials said caused severe damage to the country’s energy grid. These attacks are part of a broader Russian campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure amid winter temperatures below freezing, resulting in widespread blackouts affecting millions.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had secured a Russian commitment to pause strikes on energy targets for one week. Moscow confirmed the agreement, specifying that the pause would last only until Sunday. Kyiv agreed to a temporary halt on attacks against Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, asserted that Monday night’s attacks violated the supposed pause, noting that the negotiating team’s work would be adjusted accordingly.
Trump later clarified that the agreement spanned “Sunday to Sunday” and praised President Vladimir Putin for keeping his word within that timeframe. Zelenskyy questioned the credibility of Russia’s promises, asserting that the latest strikes indicate Moscow’s ongoing reliance on deception, a pattern that began before the full-scale invasion.
Overnight into Wednesday, both nations continued long-range strikes. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 105 drones, of which 88 were intercepted or neutralized, while 17 drones struck 14 locations across the country.
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