Russia and Ukraine sit for tense talks on thorny territorial issue

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by ReutersJanuary 23, 2026 at 11:02 PM

AI Summary

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Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on Friday to discuss the critical territorial dispute, a major obstacle to resolving the ongoing conflict. The talks, mediated by the UAE, focused on parameters for ending the war, with Russia demanding Ukraine cede the Donbas region. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that Russia's willingness to end the war is paramount, while also acknowledging pressure from the US for a peace deal. The Ukrainian delegation head, Rustem Umerov, discussed the negotiation process's future logic. Despite the meeting, no compromise was reached, and further discussions were scheduled for Saturday. The meeting occurred against a backdrop of intensified Russian air strikes causing a severe energy crisis in Ukraine.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 50% Rustem Umerov 60% United States 60% Moscow 60% United Arab Emirates ×260% Donbas 70% Abu Dhabi ×370% Volodymyr Zelenskyy ×280% Ukraine ×790% Russia ×590%

Keywords

russia ukraine talks 90% territorial dispute 80% peace deal 70% negotiation process 60% donbas 60% energy crisis 50% russian air strikes 50% full-scale invasion 40% abu dhabi 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Russia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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russia ukraine talks territorial dispute peace deal negotiation process donbas energy crisis russian air strikes full-scale invasion abu dhabi

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