'There is a breakthrough': Russia and Ukraine begin second day of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi

Ukraine and Russia began the second day of their peace negotiations Thursday in the presence of U.S. representatives in Abu Dhabi. Both sides described the previous day's talks as "substantial and productive" although they differed on what was achieved. While Moscow highlighted "a breakthrough, Kiev outlined only the pact on a prisoner exchange.

"The second day of talks in Abu Dhabi began. We are working in the same formats as yesterday: trilateral consultations, group work and the subsequent alignment of positions," said Ukrainian chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov.

For his part, Moscow's negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, maintained that there is indeed "progress," although he warned of attempts by European nations to "disrupt" the peace talks: "Things are moving in a good and positive direction."

Putin "only fears Trump"

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky justified the absence of European powers from the negotiations despite their interest and pressure to have a seat. "Putin is not afraid of the Europeans, Putin only fears Trump," he told France 2.

Zelensky also stressed that his US counterpart "has a means of pressure through the economy, sanctions and weapons that he could transfer to us," he said.

Russia maintains its demands on Kiev

During the negotiations, Moscow again insisted that Ukraine must give in to its demands, reinforcing doubts about the chances of real success of diplomatic efforts pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"As long as the Kiev regime does not make the right decision, the special military operation will continue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned, using the technicality with which Russia refers to the invasion. Russia is demanding that Ukraine give it the whole of Donbas, an industrial and mining territory in the east, in exchange for a possible freeze on the front line.

So far, Kiev refuses to give up territories claimed by Moscow in the eastern Donetsk region, where its main defenses against Russian attacks are located.

Zelensky puts the number of Ukrainian soldiers' casualties at 55,000

In the in the interview with France 2, Zelensky estimated that Moscow would have to sacrifice 800,000 more men to complete the military conquest of this region. "It will take them at minimum two years, with a very slow advance. In my opinion, they will not hold out that long," he assured.

However, Zelensky acknowledged that the conflict was also seriously affecting his country, with "a large number of missing persons" and "55,000" Ukrainian military dead, a figure far below those of Western estimates.

Witkoff and Jared Kushner, present at the negotiations

While the negotiations, involving U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are taking place, Russia is keeping up the pressure on the Ukrainian civilian population.

After a brief pause requested by Trump, Moscow resumed its attacks on Ukrainian railways and energy infrastructure on Tuesday, leading to heating and power outages in hundreds of thousands of homes, with temperatures hovering around -20 °C.

Russia intensifies its attacks after Trump's requested pause

On Wednesday night, Russia launched two missiles and 183 drones against Ukrainian territory, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Two people were injured in Kiev. In this context, Ukrainians interviewed by AFP doubt that an agreement can be reached.

"I think all this is nothing but a staging," Petro, a Kiev resident, assured. "We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best." In Moscow, by contrast, Russians expressed hope that the war will end sooner rather than later.

"This has to end someday, everyone is fed up," stressed Anton, a 43-year-old engineer, while Dmitri, 44, said he wishes "drones would stop flying over" their heads and "people would stop dying."