Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi as Moscow carries out new attacks

2026-02-04 15:10:09, Kosova & Bota CNA

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the United States, have begun in the United Arab Emirates, hours after Russian forces carried out new attacks across Ukraine.

Direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, with the involvement of American representatives, resumed in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. Meetings between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have been rare since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, confirmed on X that negotiations have begun, saying that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the US have begun meeting in a trilateral format.

"Then comes the work of groups divided according to certain topics, after which joint synchronization of positions is planned," he added.

According to earlier media reports, which cited an unidentified White House official, President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will represent Washington in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

There is little hope of any progress towards ending the war that began almost four years ago, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier on February 4 that Russia's position in the talks remains unchanged and that "it is absolutely clear and the Kiev and American negotiators know this."

The talks come hours after Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack that hit the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and other regions across Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said these are familiar Kremlin tactics that use diplomacy to buy time while intensifying attacks.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with more than 100 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on February 4.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and two others were injured as a result of a drone attack, according to regional authorities.

"A 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were killed" in the attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region, Mykola Lukashuk, head of the regional administration, wrote on Telegram.

In the southern Odessa region, at least five people were injured in a Russian attack overnight, regional authorities said, adding that homes, kindergartens and a school were damaged./REL