Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia have started a second day of peace talks in Abu Dhabi. These two-day, three-way meetings are being led by the United States as Washington looks for a way to end the war in Ukraine, which has now lasted nearly four years. The talks come after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of taking advantage of a US-backed energy truce to build up its weapon supplies. He made these claims following a record-breaking wave of Russian ballistic missile attacks.

The chances of reaching a deal remain uncertain because Moscow is sticking to its most extreme territorial demands. Russia says any peace agreement must include Ukraine handing over the entire eastern Donbas region. Kyiv has rejected this demand. Instead, Ukraine is calling to freeze the fighting along the current frontlines and has ruled out any one-sided retreats.

Other major hurdles stand in the way of a settlement. Moscow refuses to allow European troops on Ukrainian soil, even though Kyiv views their presence as a vital security guarantee to ensure Russia keeps its word. Additionally, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian forces will keep fighting until Kyiv makes "decisions" that could end the war.

The US delegation in Abu Dhabi includes special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Ukraine’s team is represented by Kyrylo Budanov and Andrii Hnatov. The Russian group is led by Igor Kostyukov, along with other intelligence officials and Kirill Dmitriev. The meetings were originally set for Sunday but were pushed back because of rising tensions in the region involving Iran.