Russia-Ukraine war: Second round of peace talks set to begin in Abu Dhabi

Russia-Ukraine-war" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="1200" data-entity-type="event">Russia-Ukraine war: Second round of peace talks set to begin in Abu DhabiThe main sticking point in the negotiations continues to be the long-term fate of territory in eastern Ukraine.Published On 4 Feb 2026Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are set to join for a second round of United States-brokered talks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they seek to advance fraught talks on how to end Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine.The two-day trilateral talks slated to be held in Abu Dhabi come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of violating the Trump-brokered deal that called for ceasing attacks on energy facilities.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trilateral Ukraine talks to resume in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday: Zelenskyylist 2 of 3Zelenskyy warns of ‘logistics terror’ as Russia hits Ukraine railwaylist 3 of 3Russian drone attack on bus in Ukraine kills at least 12end of listA huge Russian drone and missile barrage in the run-up to the talks, pounding Ukraine’s energy grid and knocking out power and heating in temperatures far below freezing, threatened to overshadow any chances of progress in the Emirati capital.“Each such Russian strike confirms that attitudes in Moscow have not changed: They continue to bet on war and the destruction of Ukraine, and they do not take diplomacy seriously,” Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.“The work of our negotiating team will be adjusted accordingly,” he said, without elaborating.The first round of the meeting was held in the UAE last month, marking the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration to end the conflict – Europe’s worst since World War II.While the Trump administration has, over the past year, pushed the two sides to find compromises, breaking the deadlock on key issues appears no closer as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour approaches later this month.What are the sticking points?The main sticking point is the long-term fate of territory in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has occupied. Security guarantees for Ukraine against future Russian attacks have also been one of the obstacles in the talks to end the conflict.