The second round of trilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the United States, entered its second day on Thursday, with both sides aiming to end the nearly four-year conflict.
Participants from both sides described the first day of talks – held in the Emirati capital – as “productive” and “constructive”, though the European Union remains sceptical of Russia’s intentions of ending the war in Ukraine.
The first round of negotiations in the UAE had concluded last Wednesday, which Kyiv officials described as “substantive and productive”, despite no apparent breakthrough.
A primary deadlock impeding a ceasefire is territorial concession in eastern Ukraine as Moscow demands that Kyiv withdraw its troops from large parts of the Donbas region – including heavily fortified cities atop vast natural resources – as a precondition for any agreement.
Kyiv has rejected these insistences, saying the conflict should end along the current front lines. However, the Institute for the Study of War reports that Russian forces remain in control of 20 per cent of Ukraine as of February 5, and are constantly pushing deeper into Ukrainian territory.
Also Read: Trilateral Ukraine-Russia negotiations to resume: Zelenskyy
Despite the peace negotiations, Russia has continued to strike strategic, logistical and energy infrastructure in Ukraine, with intensified attacks on power generation plants that have left hundreds of thousands in Ukrainian cities without electricity in harsh winters that see minimum temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius over the past few weeks.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the ongoing negotiations must produce concrete results toward achieving lasting peace with Russia without giving Moscow any opportunity to prolong the war.
He said Ukraine had lost 55,000 soldiers in its conflict with Russia; figures contested by international organisations and groups studying the war, which believe actual casualty numbers on both sides are significantly higher than officially reported.
Additionally, thousands of mercenaries and foreign troops are fighting alongside the regular armies of both Ukraine and Russia.
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