U.S.-brokered peace talks break off without a deal after overnight Russian bombardment of Ukraine

Ukraine and Russia ended a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without a deal. Future meetings were mooted after overnight Russian airstrikes that knocked out power for over a million Ukrainians amid subzero winter cold.

Statements following the talks did not indicate that any agreements had been reached, but both Moscow and Kyiv said they were open to further dialogue.

“The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X after the meeting.

“As a result of the meetings held over these days, all sides agreed to report back in their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders,” he said, adding that further meetings could take place as early as next week.

A UAE government spokesperson said there was face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia - rare in the almost four-year-old war triggered by a full-scale Russian invasion — and tackled “outstanding elements” of Washington’s peace framework.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, told reporters just before 5 p.m. Abu Dhabi time (1300 GMT) that the discussions had concluded.