A new round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will take place in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, but analysts warn that deep divisions between Kyiv and Moscow make a breakthrough unlikely.
Moscow has described the negotiations as “complex and multi-directional”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv is ready for a “substantive discussion” aimed at achieving a “real and dignified end to the war”.
Political analyst Orkan Nabiyev told AnewZ that the core challenge lies in the fundamentally opposing objectives of the two sides.
“The positions of the two countries, Ukraine and Russia, are diametrically opposed to each other,” Nabiyev said.
He said Russia’s ambitions extend far beyond eastern Ukraine, with Moscow seeking to maintain long-term strategic leverage rather than settle for limited territorial gains.
“The main goal of Russia is to take Donetsk, to hold the Donetsk region - and ultimately all of Ukraine - because Putin’s aim is to control all of Ukraine, not just a small region,” he said.
According to the analyst, this strategic gap makes meaningful compromise difficult and turns the negotiation process into a tactical exercise rather than a genuine peace effort.
He argued that Russia is using talks primarily to buy time and manage external pressure, particularly the risk of additional sanctions from Washington.
Nabiyev also noted that while the US administration has increased pressure on Ukraine to engage in diplomacy, Moscow has shown little willingness to make reciprocal concessions.
Previous ceasefire efforts, including a brief pause in attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure, collapsed within days, highlighting the fragility of such arrangements.
Commenting on remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting that “good news” could emerge from the talks, Nabiyev pointed to expectations of possible Ukrainian concessions.
“Good news may be Ukraine’s compromise on creating a demilitarised zone,” he said, adding that security-related compromises remain highly sensitive.
He also warned that domestic political constraints inside Russia further limit the Kremlin’s room for manoeuvre, making any major compromise difficult. As a result, Nabiyev said expectations for the Abu Dhabi talks should remain low.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, e...
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 7...
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of...
An Iranian military helicopter crashed in the city of Dorcheh, in Iran on Tuesday (24 February), causing the death of the pilot, co-pilot and two mark...
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes ...
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is no longer defined by shock but by scale.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from meeting members of the French government after not showing up at the Foreign Affairs ministry, where he had been summoned over comments on the killing of a French far-right activist last week, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment