US-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks close with no breakthrough

On eve of time 2 of talks successful UAE capital, Russian attacks chopped disconnected astir 1.2 cardinal from powerfulness successful sub-zero temperatures.

Ukraine and Russia ended a second time of United States-brokered talks successful Abu Dhabi without an agreement, but with the warring sides saying they were unfastened to further dialogue, arsenic Russian attacks connected Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure continued.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected X connected Saturday that bilateral discussions focused connected the “parameters for ending the war, arsenic good arsenic the information conditions required to execute this”, and that further talks could instrumentality spot arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week.

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The talks were attended by Ukraine’s main negotiator Rustem Umerov and subject quality caput Kyrylo Budanov, and Russian subject quality and service representatives, according to Zelenskyy. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were besides present.

A UAE authorities connection said talks were “constructive and positive”, tackling “outstanding elements” of Washington’s peace framework, with “direct engagement” between Ukraine and Russia, a uncommon lawsuit successful the astir four-year-old warfare triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The archetypal US draught drew dense disapproval successful Kyiv and Western Europe for hewing excessively intimately to Moscow’s maximalist demands and territorial ambitions, portion Russia rejected revised versions implicit proposals for stationing European peacekeepers successful Ukraine.

Before the discussions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said connected Friday that Russia had not dropped its insistence connected Ukraine withdrawing from its eastbound country of Donbas, the concern heartland consisting of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

While Russia controls each of Luhansk, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to surrender the remaining 20 percent it inactive holds successful Donetsk.

Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine said: “We … cognize that they were meant to beryllium discussing what to bash astir the contested areas successful Donbas and besides astir the anticipation of a ceasefire connected Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure.”

‘Cynical’ onslaught during talks

On the eve of the 2nd time of talks, Russia targeted Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure, cutting disconnected astir 1.2 cardinal radical from energy successful sub-zero temperatures, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba.

Kyiv City Military Administration caput Tymur Tkachenko said drone attacks connected Kyiv killed 1 idiosyncratic and wounded 4 others.

Kharkiv determination caput Oleh Syniehubov said that drone attacks connected Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis wounded 27 people.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was not at the talks, accused Putin of acting “cynically”. “His missiles deed not lone our people, but besides the dialog table,” helium said.

“This barbaric onslaught erstwhile again proves that Putin’s spot is not astatine [US President Donald Trump’s] Board of Peace, but successful the dock of the peculiar tribunal,” Sybiha wrote connected X.

It emerged connected Monday that Trump’s medication had invited Putin to articulation the board, purportedly aimed astatine resolving planetary conflicts, arsenic good arsenic overseeing governance and reconstruction successful Gaza.

Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian absorption subordinate of parliament successful Kyiv, said connected X that the attacks during talks were “not a coincidence”.

“This has been Putin’s strategy galore times successful the past. This is wherefore a ceasefire was specified a important prerequisite to immoderate existent talks,” she said.

Reporting connected the talks, Zelenskyy said connected X that helium valued “the knowing of the request for American monitoring and oversight of the process of ending the warfare and ensuring genuine security”.