Amid Escalating Strikes, U.S.-Mediated Ukraine Peace Talks Enter Second Day in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Against a backdrop of intensified Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's civilian power grid, diplomatic efforts to halt the protracted war entered a critical phase on Thursday as Ukrainian and Russian delegations resumed U.S.-brokered peace talks in the United Arab Emirates capital.
The closed-door negotiations, now in their second day, follow a pattern established in earlier sessions, involving trilateral consultations and working groups aimed at narrowing the vast divide between Kyiv and Moscow. "We are continuing our work within the established formats: trilateral consultations, group work, and further synchronization of positions," stated Rustem Umerov, Head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, who is leading Kyiv's delegation.
The U.S. diplomatic presence remains pivotal, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former senior advisor and son-in-law to ex-President Donald Trump, participating. Their involvement underscores Washington's sustained, albeit complex, role in attempting to steer the conflict toward a diplomatic settlement, a process that has seen multiple false starts since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022.
Adding a significant military dimension to the talks, General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, was also in attendance, a spokesperson for the general confirmed on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
The talks proceed as violence grinds on. Russian forces have launched a sustained winter campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, seeking to cripple the nation's resilience. Meanwhile, a brutal war of attrition continues along the sprawling eastern and southern front lines. This grim reality was highlighted by a Human Rights Watch report Wednesday noting a 31% year-on-year increase in Ukrainian civilian casualties in 2025. UN data estimates nearly 15,000 civilians killed and over 40,000 injured since the war's onset.
In a social media statement Wednesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the stakes for the negotiations, urging allies to maintain pressure on Moscow. He emphasized that any peace must include "real security guarantees" for Ukraine to deter future aggression and warned against outcomes that merely allow Russia to "regroup and continue its strikes."
Analyst & Public Reaction:
"The continued U.S. engagement, particularly with figures from the previous administration, is a necessary if delicate signal," observes Mark Thorne, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. "It suggests a channel remains open, but the simultaneous escalation on the battlefield by Russia creates a toxic atmosphere for compromise."
Anya Petrova, a Kyiv-based human rights lawyer whose family has been displaced from Donetsk, expressed cautious hope: "Every day of talks is a day not completely lost to bombs. But we watch our lights flicker off from the strikes and wonder if Moscow is negotiating in good faith or just buying time."
In sharper contrast, Ivan Kovalenko, a political commentator from Odesa, was dismissive: "This is theater. While diplomats talk in air-conditioned rooms in Abu Dhabi, Russia is trying to freeze and darkness my country into submission. These talks, without a prior ceasefire, feel like a betrayal of those dying on the front lines and in bomb shelters."
Reporting contributed by Emma Burrows in London.
For ongoing coverage, follow AP's Ukraine war report.