Closing summary
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began a second round of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, as they sought to advance efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The talks in the Emirati capital are expected to continue for a second day on Thursday.
Attacks have continued in Ukraine, with officials reporting a “massive” drone strike in the southern region of Odesa.
The Kremlin confirmed there were ongoing technical discussions between Russia and France after French president Emmanuel Macron suggested Europe should re-engage with Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin did not indicate any current dialogue between Putin and Macron.
Elsewhere, Spain and Portugal braced for the impact of Storm Leonardo, with weather forecasters predicting an “extraordinary amount of rain” to hit southern Spain on Wednesday.
In Greece, rescue workers searched the Aegean Sea near the island of Chios for potential missing people after a collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a coastguard vessel killed at least 15 people.
The UAE’s foreign minstry has released photographs of the second round of talks in Abu Dhabi, showing representatives of the US, Russia and Ukraine sat around a U-shaped table, with the Americans seated at the centre. Among the US reps are special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
We haven’t yet had any official statements or comments on the outcome of the meeting, but talks are expected to continue on Thursday. The first trilateral negotiations in the Emirati capital were held on 23 January and 24 January.
Negotiators were expected to discuss the main sticking points in reaching a peace deal, namely Russia’s demand for Ukraine to give up land it still controls but which Moscow wants, and security guarantees for Ukraine from future Russian attacks.
Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, commented earlier that his team were “working within the clear directives of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to achieve a dignified and lasting peace”.
