Russia demands Ukraine’s Donbas region ahead of Abu Dhabi talks
ABU DHABI: Russia said it was not dropping its key demand that Ukraine pull out of its eastern Donbas region, ahead of three-way talks between Ukrainian, Russian and American officials in the UAE later on Friday (Jan 23). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said territory remained the key issue and would be on the agenda for the talks, which look set to be the first direct public negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on a plan being pushed by US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war. High-level teams from the three countries were headed for Abu Dhabi for the negotiations – a day after US President Donald Trump met with Zelenskyy in Davos and hours after US envoy Steve Witkoff held late-night talks with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. While a diplomatic push to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II has gained pace in recent weeks, Moscow and Kyiv remain at odds over the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement. Russia, which launched its invasion in 2022, said on Friday …
