While the focal point of developments in the war in Ukraine has since yesterday been Abu Dhabi—where one of the most significant diplomatic efforts to date to end the war is taking place—this did not prevent Russia, following its usual tactic during negotiation periods, from once again putting Ukrainians on alert overnight, bombarding cities and injuring civilians.

For the first time since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine, Russia and the United States have sat at the same table in trilateral talks, which began on Friday in Abu Dhabi and are continuing today, in an environment of intense pressure and deep uncertainty over the achievement of a ceasefire.

The talks in the Emirates are considered the highest-level known meeting between the three sides since the beginning of the war, at a time when Ukraine is enduring a difficult winter, with a large part of its civilian energy infrastructure having suffered severe damage from Russian strikes. The diplomatic climate is further strained by recent statements from US President Donald Trump regarding his intention to take control of Greenland, causing friction among Ukraine’s Western allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the talks are being held at a “negotiators’ level” and that this format “is happening for the first time in a very long while.” In an audio message to journalists, he stated that the Ukrainian delegation “knows what it needs to do.” On the Russian side, the delegation is led by the head of the military intelligence service (GRU), Admiral Igor Kostyukov, a fact that suggests an emphasis on the military rather than political aspects of the negotiations.

The talks are taking place after the seventh meeting in Moscow between Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to information, the main issues discussed were Russia’s territorial demands and Ukraine’s security guarantees, which Zelensky has said he agreed upon with Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In Moscow, Witkoff was accompanied by the US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), who was recently appointed senior adviser to Trump’s international “peace council” for Gaza. The Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described the talks as “useful in every respect” and stated that it was agreed that the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues would take place the same day in Abu Dhabi.

The “sticking point” of Donbas, Moscow also hints at regime change in Kyiv

Shortly before the start of the talks, the Kremlin reiterated its core demand for ending the war: the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the eastern Donbas region. At the same time, senior Russian officials have called for additional measures not included in the so-called “Trump 20-page peace plan,” implying that regime change in Kyiv is also being sought.

“Any settlement proposal based on the primary goal of preserving the current Nazi regime in whatever remains of the Ukrainian state is absolutely unacceptable to us,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday. Along the same lines, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that “the Ukrainian armed forces must withdraw from Donbas… This is a very important prerequisite.”

Speaking on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Witkoff said that one key issue remains unresolved, without providing further details, leaving open the possibility that the talks in Abu Dhabi may simply mark the beginning of a long and difficult negotiation process.

Kiev tonight. pic.twitter.com/z1TsMk0ef2

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Russian air strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv leave 15 injured

A barrage of air strikes was launched by Russian forces against Ukraine on the night from Friday to Saturday, as a result of which at least one person was killed and another 15 were injured in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The head of the military administration of the Ukrainian capital, Tymur Tkachenko, said in a post on the Telegram platform that “Kyiv is under attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),” while also warning of possible ballistic missile strikes. In a later update, around 3 a.m., he reported one dead and four injured as a result of the Russian strikes.

In Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that his city was hit by a wave of attacks from Iranian-made Shahed drones that struck homes and health facilities, leaving at least 11 people injured.