High-Stakes Peace Talks Begin Today in Abu Dhabi as Trump-Led Diplomacy Tests Path to Ending Ukraine War

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian diplomats begin a new round of trilateral peace talks today in Abu Dhabi, as Washington presses for a breakthrough to end Moscow’s four-year war against Kyiv.

The two-day meetings follow an initial round in late January that officials described as productive but unresolved. They mark the first sustained, direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Talks open amid renewed fighting after the collapse of a short-lived U.S.-backed energy truce. Russia has resumed strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including in Kyiv, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of using the pause to rearm—claims Kyiv rejects.

The negotiations are the result of months of diplomacy by the administration of President Donald Trump, which has pushed both sides to seek compromise. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has countered that Russia exploited the truce to intensify attacks.

Key disputes center on eastern Ukraine—particularly the Donetsk region—and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest. Moscow demands territorial concessions, while Kyiv insists any deal freeze the conflict along current lines, potentially with a European-backed peacekeeping presence.

Despite cautious optimism from negotiators, officials on both sides acknowledged that major gaps remain and that a comprehensive agreement is still distant.

Latest Worthy News