Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for US-brokered talks
By KAMILA HRABCHUK, Associated Press
kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Envoys from Russia and Ukraine met Wednesday in Abu Dhabi for a new round of U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year war, a Ukrainian negotiator said.
The delegations from Moscow and kyiv were joined in the UAE by US officials, Rustem Umerov, head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, who was present at the meeting, said on social media.
Umerov said the planned two-day negotiations began with the presence of all three delegations, after which negotiators were expected to divide into groups according to topics and then reconvene as a full group at the end.
The U.S. team was expected to include special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who also attended last month’s meeting, according to the White House.
The ongoing negotiations also coincide with the expiration on Thursday of the latest nuclear weapons deal between Russia and the United States. Trump and Putin could extend the terms of the treaty or renegotiate its terms in an effort to prevent a new nuclear arms race.
Talks last month in the Emirati capital, part of U.S. efforts to end the fighting, yielded some progress but no progress on key issues, officials said.
Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure
The Abu Dhabi talks took place against a backdrop of Ukrainian outrage over major Russian attacks on its energy system, which have taken place every winter since Russia launched its all-out invasion of its neighbor on February 24, 2022.
A massive Russian bombardment overnight Monday included hundreds of drones and a record 32 ballistic missiles, injuring at least 10 people. This happened despite Ukraine understanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told Trump he would temporarily cease strikes on Ukraine’s power grid.
Ukrainian civilians are grappling with one of the coldest winters in years, with temperatures hovering around minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no details of the Abu Dhabi negotiations and said Moscow did not plan any comments on their results.
He said “the doors to a peaceful settlement are open,” but noted that Moscow would continue its military action until kyiv meets its demands.
Russia is striking Ukrainian energy facilities because its armed forces believe the targets are linked to kyiv’s military effort, Peskov said.
There is a lack of clarity over how long Putin has promised to observe a pause in attacks on power grids.
Trump said at the White House on Tuesday that Putin had agreed to suspend strikes for a week, until February 1, and that the Russian leader had kept his word. But Zelensky said Tuesday that “barely four days passed during the week when Russia was asked not to react” before Ukraine was hit by new attacks, suggesting that the Ukrainian leader was not fully aware of the terms of the Trump-Putin deal.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “unfortunately not surprised” by Moscow’s renewed attacks.
More than 200 repair crews were working in kyiv to restore power on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said, adding that staff were exhausted and there would be a rotation. More than 1,100 apartment buildings in the capital remain without heating, Zelensky said.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said the developments were part of Moscow’s negotiating strategy.
“The Kremlin will likely attempt to present its adherence to this short-term moratorium on energy strikes as a significant concession to gain leverage in upcoming peace talks, even though the Kremlin used these few days to stockpile missiles for a larger strike program,” he said late Tuesday.
Night attacks
Russia launched 105 drones against Ukraine overnight and air defenses shot down 88, the Ukrainian Air Force said Wednesday. Strikes by 17 drones were recorded on 14 sites, as well as falling debris on five sites, according to the press release.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian strike on a residential area killed a 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, regional military administration head Oleksandr Hancha said.
The southern city of Odessa was also the target of a large-scale attack, regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said. Around 20 residential buildings were damaged and four people were rescued from the rubble, he said.
