Plans for senior Ukrainian and Russian officials to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend for another round of peace talks have been thrown into uncertainty by rising tensions over possible US strikes on Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that the date or location might change, citing developments between the United States and Iran that could affect the timing.
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of all agreed participants being present, noting that the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had said Donald Trump’s top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would not attend. Meanwhile, two sources in Moscow told Reuters that Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, would travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with Trump administration members.
Ahead of the possible talks, there has been a notable reduction in attacks by Russia and Ukraine against each other. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to refrain from strikes reciprocally, and that from Thursday night to Friday there were no strikes on energy facilities in any region. He noted, however, that no formal ceasefire agreement existed and that Kyiv would halt strikes if Moscow did the same. Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one-week halt on strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but the Kremlin merely acknowledged the request without confirming agreement.
Ukraine continues to experience one of its coldest winters in decades, with temperatures forecast to fall as low as -26C in the capital from Sunday. Many people are living without electricity and heating.
Incoming Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said he opposed reopening EU diplomatic channels with Russia to prevent Trump from setting the tone for talks. He pledged continued support for Kyiv, saying there were no indications Russia wanted to end the war. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, meanwhile, has stepped up opposition to Ukraine joining the EU, claiming the bloc aimed to admit the country in 2027 to benefit from the next financial budget. Zelenskyy has reiterated his target of EU membership by 2027.
