Day: January 25, 2026

Abu Dhabi  #Peace Talks:  #Russia– #Ukraine   gemini.google.com/share/4a42…

The Abu Dhabi Peace Talks, which concluded their first major trilateral round yesterday, January 24, 2026, represent the most significant diplomatic effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war since it began nearly four years ago.

Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, these talks are the first time senior officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have sat together at the same table to negotiate a settlement.

Key Details of the January 2026 Summit

The meetings followed a flurry of high-level diplomacy earlier in the week, including President Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s late-night sessions with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The Participants:
Ukraine: Led by chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and military intelligence (HUR) head Kyrylo Budanov.
Russia: Represented notably by military and intelligence figures, including Admiral Igor Kostyukov (Head of the GRU), rather than traditional diplomats.
United States: Led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The Core Agenda:
The “Donbas Modalities”: Russia continues to demand a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukraine has countered with proposals for a demilitarized zone and potential referendums.
Energy Ceasefire: A primary pillar involves a mutual halt to strikes on energy infrastructure—specifically Ukrainian power grids and Russian oil refineries/tankers.
Security Guarantees: Zelenskyy has emphasized the need for “American monitoring and control” to ensure any ceasefire is not simply a “breathing space” for future Russian aggression.
Current Status and Friction Points
While President Zelenskyy and U.S. officials described the talks as “constructive,” significant hurdles remain:

IssueRussian PositionUkrainian/U.S. PositionTerritoryFull control of annexed regions (Donbas).Rejection of land-for-peace without ironclad guarantees.NATO/SecurityPermanent neutrality for Ukraine; no NATO troops.Demand for robust Western security architecture.Diplomatic OpticsSignals intent through military/intel reps (GRU).Pushing for a framework that restores international law.
The “Missile Shadow”: Ironically, while the teams met in Abu Dhabi, Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike against Kyiv and Kharkiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha remarked that these strikes were aimed “not only at our people, but also the negotiation table.”
What’s Next?
The parties have returned to their respective capitals to brief their leadership. A second round of trilateral negotiations is already scheduled to resume in Abu Dhabi next Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Would you like me to look into the specific details of the “Board of Peace” funding proposal or the reported $1 billion membership fee mentioned in these talks?

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jan 25, 2026