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The second day of US-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks occurred amid a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, causing power outages and civilian casualties. Abu Dhabi hosted US-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials aimed at ending nearly four years of war.
Two days of US-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at ending the nearly four-year war concluded in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (January 24), even as Ukraine came under one of its largest aerial attacks in months.
The discussions wrapped up just hours after Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles across Ukraine, killing civilians and knocking out power in multiple regions.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
Saturday’s negotiations lasted about three hours, marking the second day of meetings involving officials from Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
A UAE government spokesperson said the talks focused on the “outstanding elements” of a US-proposed peace framework and involved “direct engagement” between Russian and Ukrainian officials.
“The discussions were held in a constructive and positive atmosphere,” the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
Russia open to more talks
Russia signalled it remains open to continuing dialogue.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow is willing to pursue further talks with Ukrainian delegations, including possible meetings in Istanbul, state news agency RIA reported.
Massive Russian air attack
As talks were underway, Kremlin forces launched more than 370 drones and 21 missiles overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on X.
Kyiv and surrounding areas, as well as parts of the Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions in northern Ukraine, were hit, triggering widespread power cuts.
“Power outages are widespread,” Zelensky said.
Civilian casualties
At least one person was killed and four others wounded in Kyiv, according to city officials.
“Falling debris sparked fires in several districts and disrupted water and heating supplies,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in Telegram posts.
Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said Russian drone strikes on the capital killed one person and injured four.
Across Ukraine, Russian attacks killed at least one person and wounded 18 overnight, officials said.
Ukraine accuses Putin
Ukraine’s foreign minister accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering the strikes while peace talks were in progress.
“This barbaric attack once again proves that Putin’s place is not at the board of peace, but at the dock of the special tribunal,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
US role in negotiations
The Abu Dhabi talks marked the first known instance of officials from the Trump administration sitting down with representatives from both Russia and Ukraine as part of Washington’s renewed push to end the war.
US and Ukrainian officials have previously said they made progress on a 20-point plan aimed at resolving the conflict.
After US President Donald Trump met Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week, US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow to meet Putin before heading to Abu Dhabi.
Delegations
Ukraine’s delegation was led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, while Russia’s team was headed by Igor Kostyukov, chief of Russia’s military intelligence service.
Key sticking points
Kyiv and Moscow remain deeply divided over territorial demands.
Russia is insisting that Ukraine cede control of the entire Donetsk region and accept a freeze in fighting along current front lines in southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
“There is no hope of achieving a long-term settlement until Russia’s territorial demands are accepted,” Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said in an audio message posted on Telegram.
Ukraine has rejected demands to withdraw from heavily fortified parts of Donetsk that Russian forces have failed to capture since fighting began in 2014.
US proposals have suggested turning the unoccupied areas into a demilitarised or special economic zone under international administration.
English (US) ·