With the mediation of the US, Kiev and Moscow are again negotiating directly with each other in Abu Dhabi – on the American plan to end the war in Ukraine. The first round of talks has already ended. The meeting was dedicated to the conditions for ending the war, said the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, without giving details. It is too early to draw conclusions about the outcome of the meeting in Abu Dhabi, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He announced that he is in constant contact with the delegation in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky also said that, above all, Russia must express a desire to end the war. The negotiations continue today.
Doubts about Russia's interest in ending the war
ARD highlights the pressure exerted by the US on Russia and Ukraine. And it says that Ukraine's presence at the negotiating table is not surprising. "It needs to send a signal that it is ready to continue the talks," says German public broadcaster Gudrun Engel. What is more surprising is that Russia is participating in them again.
Political scientist Andreas Umlad speaks of "political theater" in connection with the talks in Abu Dhabi. Throughout the past year, the talks have been less about achieving a temporary truce or peace, and much more about winning the favor of US President Donald Trump. "Because the US has the potential power to let the war continue or end it," ARD quotes him as saying. Umland doubts that Russia is actually interested in ending the war.
Russia wants Donbas
The negotiations are centered on territorial disputes, especially over Donbas, and who will control this industrial region in eastern Ukraine after the war. A large part of it has already been conquered by Russia, while the rest is of great importance to Ukraine, the German public media notes.
Moscow is insisting that Ukraine withdraw even from the parts of Donbas controlled by Kiev - and is making this a prerequisite for holding peace talks. Kiev rejects a voluntary withdrawal. "The issue of Donbas is key," President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed before the start of the negotiations.
For the Ukrainian army, the Donetsk region in Donbas is strategically important in order to be able to contain the Russian advance. Trump's proposal is to demilitarize the region and create a free trade zone there. However, as ARD notes, Donbass is largely destroyed after heavy fighting - and both sides want control over the area.
Fourth winter at war
Millions of people in Ukraine currently have no electricity, the German public media also writes. In Kiev, 4,000 households remain without heating - after the Russian military recently attacked the country's energy infrastructure again. And temperatures in Kiev are hovering around minus 12 degrees. Many people there have been living in icy homes for weeks and have electricity only a few hours a day.
The European Union announced that it would deliver 447 more power generators to cover Ukraine's most urgent needs. EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Haja Lahbib pointed out that in the midst of the severe winter, Russia “deliberately” deprives Ukrainian civilians of warmth and light.
Author: Moritz Behrend ARD