War between Russia and Ukraine: Second Round of Peace Talks Scheduled in Abu Dhabi

A new session of trilateral talks began Wednesday morning in the United Arab Emirates, bringing together Ukrainian and Russian delegations under the mediation of Washington. Nearly four years after the start of the invasion, this meeting aims to find a diplomatic solution to the largest European conflict since World War II. The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, reaffirmed his commitment to achieving a fair and lasting peace, despite the discussions opening in an atmosphere of extreme tension. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the recent massive strikes by Moscow against his country’s energy infrastructure, seeing this as a clear sign that Russia still favors military action over diplomacy.

The fate of the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine remains the main point of friction and a major obstacle to any compromise. Moscow demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass and international recognition of its annexations, while Kiev refuses any unilateral territorial concessions, favoring a freeze on hostilities along the current front line. These diverging positions are even more challenging to reconcile as Ukraine seeks binding security guarantees to prevent any future aggression, while Russian forces continue to advance on the ground at a heavy human cost.

The U.S. administration, through its special envoy Steve Witkoff, is trying to break this deadlock by encouraging strategic adjustments on both sides. However, public opinion in Ukraine remains largely opposed to a land-for-peace exchange, and doubts persist about the ability of this second round of negotiations to produce tangible results. As the fourth anniversary of the conflict approaches, the outcome of these talks in Abu Dhabi will be crucial for stabilizing a front where military exhaustion now combines with increasing international diplomatic pressure.