Ukraine negotiations: Russia does not plan to meet with Europeans

Amid new mutual attacks, peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the USA have continued in Abu Dhabi. The delegations of the three states resumed their discussions, as the Ukrainian chief negotiator explained. The Russian news agency RIA also reported the start of the second day of negotiations.

Russian Presidential Office spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear that the Moscow delegation was not interested in meeting with the European representatives present. There is no contact with European representatives and no corresponding meetings are planned, said Peskov.

The Ukrainian side explained that there would initially be a three-way discussion between delegations from Ukraine, the USA and Russia. The Ukrainian delegation will then meet the European partners, said negotiator and foreign intelligence chief Rustem Umjerov on Telegram.

Europeans are only marginally informed

European states are not directly at the table in the three-way talks. According to US envoy and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the "European partners" are only informed peripherally; a broader format with European participation will only follow when "progress is made."

In preparation for the negotiations, there were already extensive consultations between Europeans, Ukrainians and Americans in Brussels. The European Commission announced on Monday that the EU would also take part in the meeting in Abu Dhabi. "I can confirm that the EU will take part in meetings in Abu Dhabi as part of ongoing peace efforts, together with other partners," a spokeswoman for the agency said. The Council of Member States will also be represented.

Meetings at the presidential level should be the topic

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, today will be about a possible three-way meeting at presidential level, de-escalation in mutual attacks in the energy sector and in the Black Sea, and a prisoner exchange.

After a break of more than eight months, talks between Moscow and Kiev resumed on Tuesday under US mediation.

Russia is targeting large substations

Meanwhile, the attacks continue. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyj, Russia has attacked six large substations in central regions of Ukraine. In addition, the Russian armed forces also attacked railway lines in the east and center of Ukraine.

Ukraine, for its part, attacked several targets in the Russian hinterland. The governor of the Leningrad region around the metropolis of St. Petersburg wrote on Telegram about 150 Ukrainian drones that had been repelled during the night. According to him, the target was the area of ​​the Russian oil and gas port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea. Kyiv had attacked the port several times in the past.