Ukraine and Russia set another round of direct talks as strikes continue during diplomacy
Ukraine and Russia are preparing for a second round of U.S.-brokered, face-to-face talks set for February 1 in Abu Dhabi, even as Russia continues missile and drone attacks on major Ukrainian cities. Kyiv says the strikes undercut the negotiations, while U.S. officials describe the talks as progress toward ending the nearly four-year war. The latest developments also include an intercepted oil tanker suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions.
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A second round of direct talks is scheduled
Ukraine and Russia have agreed to hold another round of direct talks next weekend as part of a U.S.-brokered effort to move toward a settlement of the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. According to reporting published Sunday, January 25, 2026, the next meeting is expected to take place on February 1 in Abu Dhabi, after a two-day set of discussions that included U.S. participation and came amid continued fighting and long-range strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the conversations as constructive, while Ukrainian officials emphasized that any diplomacy is being conducted under the pressure of ongoing attacks. Ukraine’s foreign minister criticized Russia for launching missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv during the talks, describing the timing as undermining confidence in the process and worsening civilian hardship as infrastructure damage piles up in winter.
Strikes hit major cities as infrastructure remains fragile
While negotiators discussed terms and possible frameworks, Russia’s assaults continued. Reports referenced strikes that caused casualties and worsened outages affecting heat, water and power. Ukrainian officials framed these attacks as a signal that Moscow is attempting to gain battlefield leverage and political advantage while simultaneously participating in negotiations.
On the Russian side, officials and state media have continued to claim advances and battlefield gains, including in northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian military reporting did not confirm all claimed changes in control, underscoring the difficulty of independently verifying front-line details in real time.
U.S. envoys meet Putin; sanctions enforcement remains in focus
The reporting also noted that U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin for several hours in Moscow ahead of the trilateral sessions, with U.S. officials characterizing the engagement as productive and part of narrowing outstanding issues. The talks were portrayed by Washington as an important procedural step—getting the parties in the same process—even if the substance remains contentious.
In parallel, sanctions enforcement continued to be a pressure point. French authorities intercepted a vessel suspected of being part of a Russian “shadow fleet” used to circumvent restrictions on oil exports. The ship was directed toward a southern French port for inspection, reflecting European efforts to tighten compliance as the war drags on and energy revenues remain central to Russia’s finances.
The next round of talks will test whether the parties can move beyond procedural milestones and into enforceable commitments, particularly as winter attacks on energy systems keep civilian stakes high and political constraints in both Kyiv and Moscow remain severe.