Ukraine and Russia conclude second U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi with no deal

UKRAINE and Russia concluded a second day of U.S.-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without producing a deal, though officials from both countries signalled openness to further dialogue.

Reuters reported today that a new round of talks is expected next Sunday, as the conflict continues to inflict severe hardship on civilians.

The discussions came against the backdrop of Russian airstrikes overnight that left over a million Ukrainians without electricity in subzero temperatures.

Hundreds of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv and Kharkiv, prompting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to denounce the attacks as “cynical,” writing on X: “This barbaric attack once again proves that Putin's place is not at (U.S. President Donald Trump's) Board of Peace, but in the dock of the special tribunal.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the talks on X as focusing on “the possible parameters for ending the war.” A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said: “We saw a lot of respect in the room between the parties because they were really looking to find solutions.

“We got to real granular detail and (we feel) that next Sunday will be, God willing, another meeting where we push this deal towards its final culmination.”

A spokesperson for the United Arab Emirates government highlighted that face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia remained rare in the nearly four-year conflict and that negotiators addressed “outstanding elements” of the U.S. peace framework.

Looking beyond the upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. official expressed hope for further discussions, possibly in Moscow or Kyiv, before any bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy, or a trilateral encounter involving President Trump.

“Those sorts of meetings have to happen, in our view, before we get a bilateral between (Putin) and Zelenskiy, or a trilateral with Putin, Zelenskiy and President Trump. But I don't think we're so far away from that,” the official said.

The latest round of talks underscores the precarious and incremental nature of diplomatic efforts to end the war, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of hostilities while international mediators seek a path to a negotiated settlement. - January 25, 2026