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The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the second round of discussions, originally planned for 1 February, was postponed to “adjust the schedules of all participants” but will now take place on Wednesday and Thursday. He described the negotiation process as “complex” and “multidirectional”, noting that while some issues have seen progress, others remain far harder to resolve.
Peskov avoided giving any measure of progress, saying only that common ground had been found on certain points, while other areas still lacked “rapprochement”. He also declined to clarify the current status of the informal “energy truce”, reiterating that Moscow had already agreed to a request from Donald Trump not to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to support conditions for the talks.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that the Abu Dhabi sessions had been rescheduled for 4–5 February, describing the first round in January as constructive.
Peskov again said Russia remains open to dialogue, repeating the Kremlin’s longstanding position that any meeting between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin would have to take place in Moscow. He said work by the negotiating groups was continuing and welcomed efforts to maintain momentum.
Rising tensions
He also confirmed that Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s recent visit to Miami was linked to economic discussions with the United States, noting that Dmitriev chairs the working group on bilateral economic interaction.
Commenting on rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, Peskov said Moscow was continuing its contacts with all sides and stood ready to help reduce the risk of escalation.
On France, Peskov called the idea of establishing a dedicated communication channel with Moscow “sound”, but said there was still no clarity on possible contact between the two leaders.
Asked whether Russia was in talks with the United States and Iran over transferring enriched uranium from Iran to Russian territory, he said the issue had been on the agenda for years, and consultations with all parties were ongoing.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Yanis Varoufakis delivered a blunt assessment: the European Union has missed every major chance to reform, poisoned its own democratic debate and is now entering a prolonged period of structural decline.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
German authorities have arrested five people suspected of running a criminal network to circumvent European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 sanctioned Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
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