Kremlin tempers expectations after Abu Dhabi talks In Abu Dhabi, Russia said negotiations to end its war with Ukraine are only just beginning and that the main issue remains territory. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov warned that it would be a mistake to expect rapid progress after the first round of trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine. He reiterated Russia’s demand for the Donbas region and stressed that serious work is still required. No date has yet been set for the next meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for early February. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski maintained that Kiev will not relinquish any part of Donbas, while the United States has its own peace plan. Moscow has rejected the idea of neutral forces in Donbas and has warned that it will continue military actions unless the territories are transferred to Russia. The talks, which took place on 23‑24 January, also involved Russian President Vladimir Putin, who offered to hand over the entire Donbas to Russia by June 2025, and US President Donald Trump, who met Putin in Anchorage to discuss a cease‑fire formula.

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