The members of delegations taking part within the UAE hosted trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, Director of the Workplace of the President of Ukraine Kirill Budanov, United States Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Protection Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, Chief of the Most important Directorate of the Normal Workers of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov and Jared Kushner attend a gathering at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, January 24, 2026. Handout/UAE Authorities through Reuters
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators started a second spherical of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), looking for to advance efforts to finish Europe’s greatest battle since World Struggle Two.
The 2-day trilateral conferences come after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that Russia had exploited a U.S.-backed vitality truce final week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a document variety of ballistic missiles on Tuesday (February 3).
“One other spherical of negotiations has begun in Abu Dhabi. The negotiation course of began in a trilateral format — Ukraine, america, and Russia,” Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s high negotiator, mentioned on the Telegram app.
Mr. Umerov mentioned that groups would additionally meet in separate teams to debate particular negotiation tracks and would then observe up with a joint assembly to synchronise positions.
Main differeneces stay on key factors
Over the previous yr, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed each Kyiv and Moscow to discover a compromise to finish the four-year battle, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, however the two sides stay far aside on key factors regardless of a number of rounds of talks with U.S. officers.
Probably the most delicate points are Moscow’s calls for that Kyiv quit land it nonetheless controls and the destiny of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, Europe’s largest, which sits in a Russian-occupied space.
Moscow desires Kyiv to drag its troops out of all the japanese Donetsk area, together with a belt of closely fortified cities regarded as one in all Ukraine’s strongest defences, as a precondition for any deal.
Ukraine mentioned the battle must be frozen alongside the present entrance line and has rejected any unilateral pullback of its forces.
Russia presently occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s nationwide territory, together with Crimea and components of the japanese Donbas area seized earlier than the 2022 invasion.
Army analysts have mentioned that Russian forces have gained about 1.5% of Ukrainian territory because the begin of 2024.
Polls present that almost all of Ukrainians oppose a deal that fingers Moscow land. Kyiv residents advised Reuters on Wednesday (February 4) they had been sceptical the brand new spherical of talks would deliver any main breakthroughs.
“Let’s hope that it’ll change (one thing), of course. However I don’t consider it would change something now. We is not going to give in, and they won’t give in both,” Serhii, 38, a taxi driver, advised Reuters.
The primary spherical of talks was held within the UAE final month, marking the primary direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Peace talks will concentrate on navy points: Ukraine’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson
The newest spherical of trilateral peace talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington will concentrate on navy issues, Ukraine’s Overseas Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi mentioned on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) at a media briefing in Kyiv.
Mr. Tykhyi mentioned Ukraine needed to listen to suggestions from the Russian delegation about points mentioned in earlier talks, and that Kyiv needed to know what Moscow and Washington are “actually prepared for”.
Printed – February 04, 2026 05:37 pm IST