Russian, Ukrainian and US officials opened a second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with no early sign of a breakthrough. The two warring sides remain far apart on settlement terms, and both accused each other of overnight attacks.
Russian, Ukrainian and US officials began a second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Kyiv and Washington depicted Monday's meetings as constructive, but they produced no early signs of a breakthrough.
Ukraine's top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said on Telegram that a trilateral format with the United States and Russia would come first, followed by a separate meeting with European partners. The second day is the last day when meetings are scheduled.
Both sides remain far apart
The Monday session was the first between the warring sides since February, and the negotiators gave no details afterward. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is not attending, said Monday's discussions were "substantive" and covered humanitarian and security issues. He added that a potential summit of Russian, Ukrainian and US leaders could be discussed on Tuesday.
Territory is not the only obstacle. Future security guarantees matter to both sides, while Moscow demands that Ukraine adopt neutral status and not join NATO. There has been no sign publicly that Putin will drop his demand that Ukraine surrender the entire eastern region of Donbas, and Zelenskiy has repeatedly refused to hand over land.
Europe seeks a seat as attacks continue
The new American push for a deal has galvanized European officials into pushing for a place at the table. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said wider security talks should only come after a ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected a truce. The Kremlin said the Russian delegation had not been in contact with European representatives in Abu Dhabi.
Fighting went on during the talks. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said Russia struck six large electricity substations in Ukraine's four central regions. TASS, citing the regional governor, reported that drone debris killed two people in Russia's Smolensk region. Reuters could not verify the reports.
Source: Reuters via Investing.com
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