Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have held a “productive” first round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, as Washington seeks a pathway to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. The two-day trilateral talks are due to continue on Thursday.
The talks come after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of exploiting a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile weapons before launching a record number of ballistic missile attacks at Ukraine on Tuesday. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, said the discussions were “substantive and productive, focused on concrete steps and practical solutions”.
Despite renewed diplomatic efforts, prospects for a viable peace deal remain unclear, with Moscow pressing maximalist territorial demands. The Kremlin insists any settlement must include Ukraine ceding the entire eastern Donbas region, including areas still under Ukrainian control. Kyiv has rejected such terms, ruling out any unilateral withdrawal.
Other major obstacles persist. Moscow has said it would not tolerate European troops on Ukrainian soil, a condition Kyiv sees as essential for security guarantees. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said European allies had committed to deploying forces once a deal is reached, a proposal Russia has rejected.
Kyiv was dealt a diplomatic blow before the talks when US President Donald Trump declined to condemn Russia for pounding Ukraine’s energy grid despite an apparent ceasefire. Trump stated that Vladimir Putin had “kept his word” on the ceasefire, which he said was meant to last only until Sunday.
