Russian, Ukrainian and United States officials have begun a second day of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
The talks, which resumed on Wednesday, follow the first round of US-brokered negotiations on Monday, the first direct discussions between the two warring countries since February.
Although Ukraine and the United States described the initial meeting as constructive, both sides remain divided over key issues, including territorial control and security arrangements.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, announced the resumption of the talks in a message on Telegram, saying the day’s discussions would begin with a trilateral meeting involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine, followed by a separate session with European representatives.
“We are starting the second day of the talks,” Umerov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is not attending the negotiations, described Monday’s discussions as substantive, saying humanitarian and security issues were among the topics considered.
He also said the possibility of a summit involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States could be discussed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the opening round as very productive but did not disclose details of the discussions.
Wednesday’s meeting is the final day scheduled for the current round of negotiations.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s optimism about securing an agreement, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on the terms of a possible settlement.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and has maintained demands for Ukraine to surrender the entire eastern Donbas region. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected giving up territories its forces have defended.
Other major disagreements concern future security guarantees for Ukraine, Moscow’s demand that Kyiv adopt neutral status and its opposition to Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The diplomatic efforts have continued alongside renewed military attacks, with both countries reporting overnight strikes.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said Russian forces had attacked six major electricity substations across four central regions of Ukraine.
State-owned energy company Naftogaz also reported that Russian drones had struck one of its facilities in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, causing a fire and damaging equipment.
In Russia, drone debris killed two people after striking an apartment building in the Smolensk region, which borders Belarus, the TASS news agency reported, citing the regional governor.
Russia’s Defence Ministry also said its forces had struck a cargo vessel in the Black Sea, southwest of the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, alleging that it was carrying weapons and military equipment for Ukraine.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the reports.
Trump has stepped up pressure on Kyiv to reach a settlement, warning that Ukraine could face “a very bad thing” if it failed to end the war.
Last week, he said the conflict was close to being resolved through what he described as a “big beautiful agreement”.
The latest US diplomatic initiative has also prompted European leaders to seek a place in negotiations aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow wanted broader negotiations on European security arrangements before addressing the specific terms of a settlement in Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, however, said wider security discussions should only take place after a ceasefire.
Lavrov rejected the proposal, arguing that European countries wanted to give Ukraine time to regroup.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that its delegation in Abu Dhabi had not held talks with European representatives and had no plans to do so.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that Russian President Vladimir Putin was receiving regular updates from his delegation on the negotiations.
