INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine, Russia start second day of "productive" peace talks in Abu Dhabi
Members of the US, Russian and Ukrainian delegations, including US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, attend the second round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 4, 2026. - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs/REUTERS
KYIV: Ukraine and Russia started a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday to end Europe's most destructive conflict since World War II, after a first day described as productive and positive by both Kyiv and Moscow.
AI Brief
Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Thursday that there was progress and a positive movement forward in talks on how to end the four-year war.
Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov said after Wednesday's meetings that the discussions were "meaningful and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions."
Announcing the start of the second day of talks, he said the officials would work in the same formats as during their first day - trilateral consultations, group discussions, and then again joint coordination of the positions.
"The second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi has begun," Umerov said on the Telegram app.
Dmitriev said that active work was underway to restore Russia's relations with the United States, including within the framework of a U.S.-Russia working group on the economy.
"The warmongers from Europe, from Britain, are constantly trying to interfere with this process, constantly trying to meddle in it. And the more such attempts there are, the more we see that progress is definitely being made," Dmitriev said.
"There is positive movement forward," he said, in comments supplied by his press service.
TRUMP'S PRESSURE TO FIND A COMPROMISE
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has pushed both Kyiv and Moscow to find a compromise to end the war, but the two sides appear to remain far apart on key points despite several rounds of talks with U.S. officials.
Ukrainian officials have said that this round of talks was different compared with previous attempts as the Russian delegation also included military teams.
The most complicated issues are Moscow's demands that Kyiv cede land it still controls in the eastern Donetsk region and the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which is in a Russian-occupied area.
As a precondition for any deal, Moscow wants Kyiv to pull its troops from all of the Donetsk region, including a line of heavily fortified cities regarded as one of Ukraine's strongest defences.
Ukraine has said the conflict should be frozen along the current front lines and rejects any unilateral pullback of its forces. Kyiv says it wants control of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine's national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. Analysts say Russia has gained about 1.5% of Ukrainian territory since early 2024.
After heavy Russian airstrikes on Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, ahead of the talks, there were fewer reports of attacks on Thursday. Kyiv's mayor said two people were injured in a drone strike overnight on the capital.
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AI Brief
- Russian and Ukrainian negotiators say talks in Abu Dhabi are productive, with the US urging both sides to reach a compromise.
- Key disputes remain over Russian demands for Ukrainian troop withdrawal from Donetsk and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Russia still occupies about 20% of Ukraine, and despite ongoing airstrikes, both sides continue discussions involving military teams.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Thursday that there was progress and a positive movement forward in talks on how to end the four-year war.
Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov said after Wednesday's meetings that the discussions were "meaningful and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions."
Announcing the start of the second day of talks, he said the officials would work in the same formats as during their first day - trilateral consultations, group discussions, and then again joint coordination of the positions.
"The second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi has begun," Umerov said on the Telegram app.
Dmitriev said that active work was underway to restore Russia's relations with the United States, including within the framework of a U.S.-Russia working group on the economy.
"The warmongers from Europe, from Britain, are constantly trying to interfere with this process, constantly trying to meddle in it. And the more such attempts there are, the more we see that progress is definitely being made," Dmitriev said.
"There is positive movement forward," he said, in comments supplied by his press service.
TRUMP'S PRESSURE TO FIND A COMPROMISE
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has pushed both Kyiv and Moscow to find a compromise to end the war, but the two sides appear to remain far apart on key points despite several rounds of talks with U.S. officials.
Ukrainian officials have said that this round of talks was different compared with previous attempts as the Russian delegation also included military teams.
The most complicated issues are Moscow's demands that Kyiv cede land it still controls in the eastern Donetsk region and the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which is in a Russian-occupied area.
As a precondition for any deal, Moscow wants Kyiv to pull its troops from all of the Donetsk region, including a line of heavily fortified cities regarded as one of Ukraine's strongest defences.
Ukraine has said the conflict should be frozen along the current front lines and rejects any unilateral pullback of its forces. Kyiv says it wants control of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine's national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. Analysts say Russia has gained about 1.5% of Ukrainian territory since early 2024.
After heavy Russian airstrikes on Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, ahead of the talks, there were fewer reports of attacks on Thursday. Kyiv's mayor said two people were injured in a drone strike overnight on the capital.
Your gateway to global news, insights, and stories that matter.