War in Europe

Ukraine, trilateral concluded in Abu Dhabi. Kiev: "Second substantial round"

Odessa attacked again in the night by Russian raids that caused damage to civil and industrial infrastructure

4 February 2026Aggiornato alle ore 21:00

Operai tagliano un tubo nel complesso della centrale termica di Darnytsia, gravemente danneggiata dai recenti attacchi missilistici e con droni russi, nel contesto dell'attacco della Russia all'Ucraina, a Kiev, Ucraina, 4 febbraio 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The first day of talks between Ukrainians, Russians and Americans in Abu Dhabi has come to an end. This was reported by a Ukrainian spokesman. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were present, as well as Trump's Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.

It was the second round of trilateral meetings between Russia, Ukraine and the US. "The negotiation process began in a trilateral format: Ukraine, the US and Russia. Subsequently, we will work in separate groups, divided by specific areas, after which a subsequent joint synchronisation of positions is planned," he wrote on X. "We are working within the clear directives of President Zelensky to achieve a dignified and lasting peace. We will inform the Head of State about the progress of each stage of the negotiations,' he concluded.

Umerov: 'Substantial second round, focus on practical solutions and concrete steps'

Today's negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States were "substantive and productive": they focused on "concrete steps and practical solutions", the head of the Kiev delegation, National Security Advisor Kyrilo Umerov announced in a post on X, anticipating a report for President Volodymir Zelensky. Joining him in the Ukrainian delegation are Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhii Kyslytsia, Andrii Hnatov, Vadym Skibitskyi, and Oleksandr Bevz. On the American side, White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushnev negotiated. While the Russians were represented at a high military level.

Less positive is the assessment of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is convinced that a breakthrough in the peace talks on Ukraine may not come for a while, even though the Trump administration has made great progress in the negotiations over the past year. "That's the good news," Rubio told reporters, "the bad news is that the outstanding issues are the most difficult. And in the meantime, the war continues."

Bombs over Odessa in the night

New night of Russian bombing raids on Ukraine. Odessa is back in the crosshairs of the raids, with extensive damage to residential buildings and public facilities. According to Ukrainian news agency Rbc, the bombs also hit a kindergarten and a school.

Local authorities speak of seven Ukrainian casualties and 15 wounded following the Russian attack on the city market in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region.

Zelensky reacts to the escalation

The new escalation drew a harsh reaction from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On the eve of the new round of talks in Abu Dhabi, the Kiev leader spoke of "consequences in the negotiations", hinting that the raids could further jeopardise the fragile diplomatic track. In parallel, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that European countries are working to attempt a resumption of dialogue with Vladimir Putin in an attempt to contain the escalation.

In the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, two people were killed in a Russian drone attack. "A 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were killed," the head of the regional administration, Mykola Lukashuk, announced on Telegram.

Kharkiv was also hit for the second night in a row. According to the local authorities, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda, Russian forces launched two missile attacks: one on the outskirts closest to the city and another in the Saltivskyi district, one of the most densely populated urban areas.

The governor of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk claims that 'seven people' died and 'eight were injured' in an attack by Russian troops on Druzhkivka, the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda writes. According to Afp, the governor, Vadim Filashkin, accuses the Russian military of hitting a market 'with cluster bombs'.

Zakharova: Nato is blatantly planning military intervention

Deploying troops of the 'coalition of the willing' in Ukraine is a blatant military intervention. This was said at a press conference by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "It is, of course, a blatant plan of foreign military intervention. That's what it should be called,' she added, referring to Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte's statement that after a peace agreement is reached in Ukraine, troops, weapons, air and naval forces of the so-called coalition of the willing will be immediately on the ground.

EU: Putin-Macron dialogue? In touch with member states

"We are in constant contact with the member states. The president speaks with the leaders" and "we will not comment on all contacts. What we can say is that, of course, we hope and wish that President Putin is ready to engage in a serious peace, we have not seen signs of this. We will not comment further right now'. This was stated by European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podestà at the daily press briefing in response to a question on the talks at a technical level between France and the Kremlin.

Agreement on EU Council position on 90 billion loan to Kiev

Meanwhile, on the political front, the Permanent Representatives to the EU, at the Coreper II meeting, agreed on the Council's position on the legal framework of the EUR 90 billion loan for Ukraine, through the issuance of joint debt guaranteed by the EU budget from 24 member states. "Ukraine is a top priority for the Cyprus presidency and we are working to translate this commitment into concrete actions and measures. The EU remains firm in its support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the country and the presidency will work to support efforts to increase pressure on Russia to cease its war of aggression. Today's agreement shows that the EU continues to act with determination in support of Ukraine and its people. The new funding will help ensure the country's strong resilience in the face of Russian aggression. At the same time, we are sending a strong signal that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states must be fully respected, in accordance with international law. Together with the European Parliament, I look forward to the finalisation of the legal texts that will allow the disbursement of these loans,' stressed Makis Keravnos, Minister of Finance of Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency.

Macron's diplomatic adviser met with Ushakov yesterday in Moscow

Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser since 2019 to French President Emmanuel Macron, was in Moscow yesterday for talks with Russian officials. Reuters online writes this, citing a source with knowledge of the meeting and two diplomatic sources.