Background and Key Participants
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the recent tripartite negotiations in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States were “constructive,” with further dialogue scheduled for the upcoming week. These negotiations mark the first known direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv regarding the US-proposed plan to end the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 2022.
Zelensky’s Perspective
In a message on the X network, Zelensky stated that “many things were discussed, and it is important that the conversations have been constructive.” He confirmed that the negotiations will resume in Abu Dhabi on February 1st, according to a US official. Another US official described the meetings as a “significant step” and evidence of substantial progress so far.
Public Sentiment in Ukraine
However, many residents in Kyiv have lost hope. Anastasia Tolkachov is one of them, expressing her disillusionment after spending a night in an underground parking lot. “I don’t even want to talk about it anymore,” she told AFP, referring to the ongoing negotiations. “It’s just one restart after another—negotiations, more negotiations. They’ll say everything is fine, no agreement has been reached again, and there will still be missiles.”
“Terror Russian”
The night before the second day of negotiations, a fatal attack occurred in Kyv and its surrounding areas. One person died when a projectile hit a store, eight people were injured in regional attacks, and 27 others were hurt by bombardments on Yakutsk (northeast) targeting a maternity hospital and residential buildings, according to local authorities.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuley denounced this as “another night of Russian terror.” The governor of the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Saldo, appointed by Moscow, accused Kyiv of killing three people in an attack on an ambulance in the occupied territory.
Russia, claiming to target only military objectives, attacked Ukraine with over 370 drones and 27 missiles on Friday night, targeting Kyiv’s capital region, Chernihiv (north), Sumy, and Yakutsk (northeast) according to Ukrainian authorities.
Journalists from AFP observed residents seeking shelter in bunkers as explosions lit up Kyiv’s sky and heard new air attack warnings on Saturday morning.
Irina Beregova, a 48-year-old economist from Kyiv, has “no hope” for these negotiations after another sleepless night. “It seems they just want Ukraine to cease existing,” she told AFP. “But we are people, and we want to live.”
The nightly bombings left over a million people without power in Kyiv and Chernihiv amid daily temperatures dropping below -10°C, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Reconstruction Minister Oleksii Kuleba.
Stalled Negotiations on Territorial Issues
The negotiations to end the war triggered by Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022 have stalled over the contentious territorial issues.
The Kremlin reiterated on Friday that Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the coal-rich, industrial east of Ukraine, largely controlled by Moscow.
Ukrainian forces have been retreating for nearly two years against a more numerous and better-equipped adversary. Kyiv largely depends on financial and military support from the West.
Zelensky claimed to have secured a security agreement for Ukraine from US President Donald Trump during a side meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The agreement is still being finalized.
Zelensky stated that the US brought up security conditions for ending the war in Abu Dhabi. However, these negotiations are taking place away from Europe without the participation of European Union countries, who fear Washington might pressure Kyiv into accepting an agreement deemed overly favorable to Moscow.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are the key participants in these negotiations? Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are involved in these talks.
- What is the main topic of discussion? The negotiations are stalled over territorial issues, with Russia demanding Ukraine withdraw troops from the eastern regions.
- What is the public sentiment in Ukraine regarding these negotiations? Many Ukrainians, like Anastasia Tolkachov, have lost hope in these talks due to ongoing violence and lack of tangible progress.
- What recent events have impacted the negotiations? A series of attacks in Kyiv and its surroundings have heightened tensions and eroded public confidence in the negotiation process.
- Why are the EU countries not participating in these negotiations? European Union nations fear that the US might push for an agreement too favorable to Russia, potentially compromising Ukraine’s interests.
