Second Day of US-Mediated Negotiations Begin as Zelensky Says Putin Is “Only Scared of Trump”
The first day of trilateral discussions on Wednesday concluded without a breakthrough, though Kyiv described the talks as “substantive and productive.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are to resume a second day of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, as diplomatic efforts continue to halt Moscow’s nearly four-year military operations in Ukraine.
The negotiations mark the latest chapter in attempts to end the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale offensive in February 2022. The first day of trilateral discussions on Wednesday concluded without a breakthrough, though Kyiv described the talks as “substantive and productive.”
The conflict remains Europe’s deadliest since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions displaced, and large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine devastated.
Highlighting the scale of the human toll, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that 55,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed—one of the rare official estimates of battlefield losses offered by either side.
As diplomacy continues, Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging many areas, including parts of the capital Kyiv, into blackouts amid freezing temperatures that have dropped as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said the first day of talks focused on “concrete steps and practical solutions.” However, the Kremlin reiterated its uncompromising stance, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that the fighting would continue “until the Kyiv regime makes the appropriate decisions.”
At the heart of the impasse is the future of territory in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is demanding that Kyiv withdraw its forces from large parts of the Donbas, including heavily fortified cities rich in natural resources, and is seeking international recognition of territories seized since the invasion.
Ukraine has firmly rejected these conditions, proposing instead that the conflict be frozen along the current front lines and refusing any troop pullback.
The Abu Dhabi talks—first held on January 23 and 24—represent the most visible progress to date in US President Donald Trump’s push to negotiate an end to the war. His envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have been tasked with pressing both sides toward an agreement.
In Kyiv, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said Ukraine entered the second round keen to understand “what the Russians and Americans really want.”
Speaking to French television in an interview broadcast Wednesday, Zelensky underscored what he sees as Washington’s pivotal role, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is “only scared of Trump.”
Zelensky argued that the US president could maintain pressure through tougher sanctions or increased arms transfers to Ukraine, while stressing that Kyiv would not compromise on its sovereignty.
Russia currently occupies about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, claiming the Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, while holding parts of at least three other eastern regions. Ukraine retains control of roughly one-fifth of the Donetsk region and has warned that ceding territory would embolden Moscow and fail to deter future aggression.