LONDON — American, Ukrainian and Russian representatives are gathering once more within the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for the following spherical of trilateral talks concerning a doable finish to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, the fourth anniversary of which is able to come later this month.
The talks in Abu Dhabi are anticipated to run till Thursday. The negotiations are the second instalment of the trilateral format, the primary additionally having been held in Abu Dhabi final month.
Each Moscow and Kyiv described the primary spherical of trilateral talks as constructive, however key areas of disagreement stay.
Amongst them are the destiny of Ukraine’s japanese Donbas area, which Russia has partially occupied and from which Moscow is demanding a full Ukrainian navy withdrawal — a proposal rejected by Kyiv.
Management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Energy Plant in southern Ukraine — occupied by Moscow’s forces since March 2022 — can be an essential level of debate.
One other unresolved concern is the character of post-war Western safety ensures for Ukraine, with out which Kyiv says Moscow will be capable to launch a brand new spherical of aggression sooner or later. The binding involvement of American forces in these safety ensures is a key Ukrainian demand.
On this picture comprised of video offered by Russian Protection Ministry Press Service on Feb. 4, 2026, Russian rocket artillery fires towards Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
AP
Russia has constantly mentioned it is not going to settle for the deployment of any NATO troops in Ukraine post-war. However following talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev mentioned, “Some safety ensures in some kind could also be acceptable.”
The delegations will collect on Wednesday as Ukraine reels from a significant Russian drone and missile bombardment on Monday night time, which Ukrainian officers mentioned triggered critical injury to the nation’s vitality grid.
This winter has seen intense and sustained Russian strikes on Ukrainian vitality infrastructure, prompting common blackouts for thousands and thousands of Ukrainians amid below-freezing temperatures.
On Thursday, Trump mentioned he had secured a week-long Russian dedication to halt assaults on Ukrainian vitality targets. Moscow confirmed the settlement, however mentioned the pause solely prolonged till Sunday. Kyiv mentioned it will additionally pause assaults on Russian vitality infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed on Tuesday that Monday night time’s strikes violated the supposed week-long pause. The Ukrainian president additionally mentioned, “The work of our negotiating workforce shall be adjusted accordingly.”
Trump, although, informed reporters afterward Tuesday that the settlement solely stretched from “Sunday to Sunday,” including that Russian President Vladimir Putin “saved his phrase on that.”
“You understand, one week is, we’ll take something as a result of it is actually, actually chilly over there. But it surely was on Sunday and he went from Sunday to Sunday,” Trump mentioned.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures as he delivers a press convention with Secretary Basic of NATO following their assembly in Kyiv, February 3, 2026.
Genya Savilov/AFP through Getty Photographs
Zelenskyy mentioned on Tuesday, “Final night time, Russia broke its promise, meaning both Russia now believes per week has fewer than 4 days as an alternative of seven, or it’s genuinely betting solely on battle and easily waited for the coldest days of this winter.”
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned in a publish to Telegram that Kyiv is ready for “the response of america of America to the Russian strikes.”
Zelenskyy instructed that the assaults undermined any hope of profitable talks. “This additionally speaks volumes about some other guarantees Russia has made or may nonetheless make. If their phrase would not maintain even now, what could be anticipated subsequent?” he mentioned in a publish to Telegram.
“They lied earlier than this battle as properly, and Russia launched the full-scale battle, attempting to deceive everybody about their intentions and about Ukraine. Even now, in these particulars, in these agreements with america, Russia resorts to deception once more,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Each Russia and Ukraine continued their long-range assaults in a single day into Wednesday.
Firefighters work on the website of the house constructing hit by a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3, 2026.
Sofia Gatilova/Reuters
Ukraine’s air pressure mentioned Russia launched 105 drones into the nation in a single day, of which 88 have been shot down or suppressed. Seventeen drones impacted throughout 14 areas, the air pressure mentioned.
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, mentioned its forces shot down 24 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
