A second round of trilateral peace talks to be held on Sunday could be delayed due to tensions in Iran, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
Delegates from the US, Russia and Ukraine met last week to iron out their respective differences in order to move towards securing a peace deal with a follow-up to be held this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
“It is very important for us that everyone we agreed with be present at the meeting, because everyone is expecting feedback,” Zelensky told reporters on Friday.
“But the date or the location may change – because, in our view, something is happening in the situation between the United States and Iran. And those developments could likely affect the timing.”
On Wednesday US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s office said that President Donald Trump’s top envoys Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would not participate in the meeting to be held this weekend.
Meanwhile, Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin had agreed to not attack Ukrainian cities at a time the war-hit nation is experiencing a harsh winter.
Key Points
- Zelensky and Merz welcome Trump’s limited ceasefire
- Trump says Putin agreed to not fire on Kyiv for a week during cold - watch
- Zelensky says he expects implementation of agreement not to fire on Kyiv
- Ukraine working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones using Starlink, says Kyiv
- Temperatures in Ukraine to hit -30C as crops risk damage
- Putin's troops moving at slowest pace seen for any army in more than 100 years of warfare
Analysis: Why Iran is the wrong war for Trump to back
10:15 , Maira ButtChaotic, unprincipled and dangerously effective, Donald Trump’s latest foreign policy move in Ukraine may secure a brief respite from Russian bombing in plunging temperatures that has left civilians freezing in their homes.
The danger lies in what he expects to get in return for securing a week-long agreement from Vladimir Putin to hold off on tormenting Ukraine. The concession he will, no doubt, demand is that Kyiv give in to the Kremlin’s demands to hand over his most potent defensive lines and fortress cities without a shot being fired in return for a longer “ceasefire”.
Trump has been backing the wrong side in Ukraine and may soon launch a war in Iran that he cannot control.
Russian cargo ship anchors over trans-Atlantic cables in Bristol Channel
09:45 , Maira ButtA Russian cargo ship dropped anchor in the Bristol Channel near undersea data cables amid growing concerns around Russia’s shadow fleet.
The Sinegorsk cargo ship, sailing under the Russian flag, cruised into the Bristol Channel on Tuesday night and appeared to anchor about two miles off Minehead, on the north coast of Somerset, near to where vital undersea telecom cables, connecting Britain to the US, Canada, Spain and Portugal, lie.
Data from MarineTraffic showed the ship sailing up the British Channel on Tuesday night and stopping two nautical miles off Minehead around 11pm, where it remained stationary until 2pm on Wednesday.
Bryony Gooch reports:
Russian cargo ship anchors over trans-Atlantic cables in Bristol Channel
Ukraine technically ready to join EU by 2027, says Zelensky
09:15 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine will technically be able to join the European Union in 2027.
A “fast track” accession to the bloc is part of the country’s security guarantees as US-brokered trilateral agreements continue.
“Technically, we will be ready in 2027,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters on Friday, adding that by the end of 2026 the country will have implemented the main steps required for membership.
“I would like Ukraine to receive a clear timeline.” Zelensky said the government was committed to the necessary reforms to join the EU.
Russia's advance is slower than any army in 100 years, say experts
08:45 , Maira ButtNew analysis appears to show that the Russian army’s advance into Ukraine is the slowest pace seen in more than 100 years of warfare.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies published the findings on Thursda y and said that Russian forces are advancing at a rate of between 15 to 70 metres a day in their most prominent offensives.
Trump says Russia will not attack Ukraine during cold week
08:15 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump says that Russian president Vladimir Putin has agreed not to strike Ukraine during a week of “extraordinary cold” weather.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky welcome the agreement, which has yet to be confirmed by Russia.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said at a televised cabinet meeting.
“It was very nice. A lot of people said, 'Don't waste the call, you're not going to get that.' And he [Putin] did it.”
Temperatures are set to hit -30C this week as Ukraine braces itself for one of the coldest winters on record.
Earlier this week Zelensky had warned that Russia was preparing for a “massive strike” across the country, after a spate of overnight drone attacks that have killed several people, including five on a passenger train that he called an act of “terrorism”.
Russia suffers heaviest losses since WWII as casualties in Ukraine conflict near 2 million
07:45 , Maira ButtThe number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit two million by the spring, a report has warned - with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
The study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies revealed the slow, deadly grind of the conflict, and comes before the fourth anniversary of the Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
The report said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025. "No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” the authors said.
Putin's troops moving at slowest pace seen for any army in more than 100 years of warfare
07:13 , Arpan RaiRussian forces are advancing at the slowest pace for any army in more than 100 years of warfare, a new assessment has shown.
“In all of its offensives over the last two years, Russia has failed to generate rapid breakthroughs to collapse the Ukrainian front line and allow for sweeping territorial gains,” said the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The US-based think tank compared the average rates of advance for major offensives in Ukraine since 2022 alongside historical benchmarks from the First World War and the Second World War and other wars.
“Russia’s Pokrovsk offensive has advanced slower than Allied forces in the Battle of the Somme in World War I, one of the most grinding offensives of the war. Russia’s offensives around Kupiansk and Chasiv Yar have been even less efficient, moving at mere fractions of the pace of historical campaigns,” the CSIS said.
In stark contrast, French forces advanced around 80 metres a day during the infamously attritional Battle of the Somme in the First World War.
"Despite claims of battlefield momentum in Ukraine, the data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is increasingly a declining power," CSIS said in its annual assessment.
Zelensky and Merz welcome Trump’s limited ceasefire
07:04 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and German chancellor Friedrich Merz have welcomed Donal Trump’s limited ceasefire on Kyiv and other cities, calling it “efforts in favour of a truce”.
Zelensky has said he expected the implementation of an agreement by Russia to not fire on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of the “extremely cold” winter weather, as announced by the US president Donald Trump.
"Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented," Zelensky said. "De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he said.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the systematic destruction of Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure by Russian attacks. I spoke about this with @ZelenskyyUa on the phone. We welcome the efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace,” he said on X.
The German leader said “the systematic and brutal destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure by Russian attacks” was “still ongoing”.
Territory not the only issue holding up peace talks, Kremlin says
06:49 , Arpan RaiKremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the issue of who gets what territory was not the only one holding up a potential deal to end the fighting in Ukraine.
Russia wants Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the roughly 20 per cent of Donetsk region which the Russian army does not control. Kyiv has said it does not want to gift Moscow territory which Russia has not won on the battlefield.
Earlier this week, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that active work was under way to reconcile the issue at US-mediated talks. He described the disagreement as a key remaining issue that was "very difficult" to resolve.
When asked on Thursday whether he agreed that the territorial question was the only outstanding one, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said: "I don't think so."
He did not name the other key issues yet to be resolved.
Zelensky says he expects implementation of agreement not to fire on Kyiv
06:41 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expected the implementation of an agreement by Russia to not fire on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of the “extremely cold” winter weather, as announced by the US president Donald Trump.
"Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented," Zelensky said.
"De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he said.
Trump announced last night that Russian president Vladimir Putin has agreed not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures.
Russia reiterates Moscow invitation to Zelensky for talks
06:31 , Arpan RaiKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia has reiterated its invitation for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Moscow for peace talks, but had not received a response yet.
Zelensky rejected a similar invitation last year, suggesting Russian president Vladimir Putin should come to Kyiv instead.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on that any meeting between Putin and Zelensky would need to be well prepared and results-oriented.
If Zelensky was ready for such a meeting, Ushakov said the Ukrainian leader could come to Moscow and that his personal security would be guaranteed.
An unnamed US official told Axios on Saturday that Zelensky and Putin were "very close" to setting up a meeting after Washington mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
Zelensky says Abu Dhabi peace talks included halting attacks on power infrastructure
06:19 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said the peace talks in Abu Dhabi over the weekend included discussion on halting attacks on energy facilities, thanking the US president Donald Trump for executing it.
"An important statement by President Trump about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period. Power supply is the foundation of life,” he said.
“We value the efforts of our partners to help us protect lives. Thank you, President Trump! Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates,” the Ukrainian president said.
Russia has been pounding Ukraine's critical infrastructure, hoping to wear down public resistance to the war while leaving many around the country having to endure the dead of winter without heat.
Trump envoy showed ‘troubling lack of knowledge at Ukraine peace talks and could not say when war began’
05:57 , Arpan RaiOne of Donald Trump’s senior envoys for Ukraine has sparked alarm after making a series of blunders during crucial peace talks, according to a report.
The unnamed official is said to have made several comments that exposed a basic lack of knowledge about the war between Ukraine and Russia during trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
Among the incorrect statements allegedly made during the meetings are errors about how long the war has been going on, when it started and whether or not the country has a vice-president.
“General [Kyrylo] Budanov is now their vice-president,” the official is reported to have said during a meeting with reporters, according to the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine does not have a vice-president, and Mr Budanov has recently been appointed as head of the president’s office.
Trump envoy showed ‘troubling lack of knowledge at Ukraine peace talks
Russia not aware of US guarantees agreed with Ukraine, says Lavrov
05:48 , Arpan RaiRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that he does not know what security guarantees have been agreed between the US and Ukraine, according to the country’s state media.
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that a security guarantee agreement was “100 per cent ready” while secretary of state Marco Rubio said that it was dependent on the surrender of the Donbas region
Ukraine is seeking guarantees that would ensure that Russia could not continue to expand into its territory or invade again.
Watch: Trump says Putin agreed to not fire on Kyiv for a week during cold
05:37 , Arpan RaiEU sanctions Russian TV hosts and other figures involved in war propaganda
05:28 , Arpan RaiThe European Union council has sanctioned six individuals for their misinformation campaign against the EU’s member states and partners in the Ukraine war.
“The Council decided to adopt sanctions against an additional six individuals, in light of Russia's continued hybrid activities, in particular Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) against the EU and its member states and partners,” the EU said in a statement yesterday.
It added: “The new sanctions targeting Russian television presenters and cultural figures who promote pro-Russian propaganda and spread disinformation on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
EU prepares to sanction Russia on 4th anniversary of Ukraine war
05:21 , Arpan RaiThe European Union is likely to impose its 20th sanctions package on Russia on 24 February, four years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"We aim to come out with this (sanctions package) on the 24th of February" Kallas said, speaking to reporters at a press briefing.
She added that an agreement on the sanctions package is not finalised yet and a discussion is continuing between EU nations.
"Countries are proposing different things... the work is ongoing," she said.
Russia returns 1,000 bodies to Ukraine in new soldier swap
04:50 , Arpan RaiRussia and Ukraine yesterday said they had carried out the latest exchange of their war dead, a regular practice designed to allow relatives of those killed on the battlefield to bury their loved ones.
Russia handed Ukraine 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, the two countries said in statements. Kyiv had handed Moscow the bodies of 38 Russian soldiers, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said.
Medinsky posted an image on Telegram of the exchange showing white refrigerated trucks parked on a snow-covered area next to a wood with people clad in white biohazard suits standing around.
Ukraine's coordination centre for prisoner exchanges confirmed an exchange of bodies had taken place, saying on Telegram that Russia had handed Kyiv 1,000 bodies which Moscow claimed belonged to Ukrainian soldiers.
Zelensky and Merz welcome Trump’s limited ceasefire
04:36 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and German chancellor Friedrich Merz have welcomed Donal Trump’s limited ceasefire on Kyiv and other cities, calling it “efforts in favour of a truce”.
Zelensky has said he expected the implementation of an agreement by Russia to not fire on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of the “extremely cold” winter weather, as announced by the US president Donald Trump.
"Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented," Zelensky said. "De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he said.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the systematic destruction of Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure by Russian attacks. I spoke about this with @ZelenskyyUa on the phone. We welcome the efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace,” he said on X.
The German leader said “the systematic and brutal destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure by Russian attacks” was “still ongoing”.
Putin's troops moving at slowest pace seen for any army in more than 100 years of warfare
04:17 , Arpan RaiRussian forces are advancing at the slowest pace for any army in more than 100 years of warfare, a new assessment has shown.
“In all of its offensives over the last two years, Russia has failed to generate rapid breakthroughs to collapse the Ukrainian front line and allow for sweeping territorial gains,” said the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The US-based think tank compared the average rates of advance for major offensives in Ukraine since 2022 alongside historical benchmarks from the First World War and the Second World War and other wars.
“Russia’s Pokrovsk offensive has advanced slower than Allied forces in the Battle of the Somme in World War I, one of the most grinding offensives of the war. Russia’s offensives around Kupiansk and Chasiv Yar have been even less efficient, moving at mere fractions of the pace of historical campaigns,” the CSIS said.
In stark contrast, French forces advanced around 80 metres a day during the infamously attritional Battle of the Somme in the First World War.
"Despite claims of battlefield momentum in Ukraine, the data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is increasingly a declining power," CSIS said in its annual assessment.
Temperatures in Ukraine to hit -30C as crops risk damage
03:58 , Arpan RaiUkraine will be hit by extremely low temperatures at the beginning of next week, posing a threat to winter crops, according to emergency services and agricultural analysts.
All regions except southern Ukraine will be affected by the freezing conditions between 1 February to 4 February.
“We consider the current cold spell to be extremely dangerous for winter crops across a significant part of Ukraine,” analyst Barva Invest said on Telegram.
Temperatures will plummet to -30C after they dropped to -20Cin early January, easing to above-zero figures this week.
Watch: Trump says Putin agreed to not fire on Kyiv for a week during cold
03:15 , Arpan RaiZelensky says he expects implementation of agreement not to fire on Kyiv
02:55 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expected the implementation of an agreement by Russia to not fire on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of the “extremely cold” winter weather, as announced by the US president Donald Trump.
"Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented," Zelensky said.
"De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” he said.
Trump announced last night that Russian president Vladimir Putin has agreed not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures.
Ukraine working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones using Starlink, says Kyiv
02:47 , Arpan RaiUkraine is working with satellite firm SpaceX to stop Russian drones using Starlink to operate, the country’s defence minister said on Thursday.
Reports suggested that Starlinks had been found on Russian long-range UAVs in Ukraine, which are resistant to traditional signal jamming, allowing the military to manually fly drones into Ukrainian targets.
“We are grateful to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and personally to Elon Musk for the quick response and the start of work on resolving the situation,” Ukraine's defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on Telegram.
Full story: Trump envoy showed ‘troubling lack of knowledge at Ukraine peace talks and could not say when war began’
02:03 , Alex CroftOne of Donald Trump’s senior envoys for Ukraine has sparked alarm after making a series of blunders during crucial peace talks, according to a report.
The unnamed official is said to have made several comments that exposed a basic lack of knowledge about the war between Ukraine and Russia during trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
The talks, set to continue this weekend, are the first between the three countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 - but the comments have led to fears that inexperience and misunderstanding by US officials could pose a risk to Kyiv.
Among the incorrect statements allegedly made during the meetings are errors about how long the war has been going on, when it started and whether or not the country has a vice president.
"General [Kyrylo] Budanov is now their vice president," the official is reported to have said during a meeting with reporters, according to the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine does not have a vice president and Budanov has recently been appointed as head of the President’s office.
Trump envoy showed ‘troubling lack of knowledge at Ukraine peace talks
Temperatures in Ukraine to hit -30C as crops risk damage
01:00 , Alex CroftUkraine will be hit by extremely low temperatures at the beginning of next week, posing a threat to winter crops, according to emergency services and agricultural analysts.
All regions except southern Ukraine will be affected by the freezing conditions between 1 February to 4 February.
“We consider the current cold spell to be extremely dangerous for winter crops across a significant part of Ukraine,” analyst Barva Invest said on Telegram.
Temperatures will plummet to -30C after they dropped to -20Cin early January, easing to above-zero figures this week.
Russia not aware of US guarantees agreed with Ukraine, says Lavrov
00:01 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that he does not know what security guarantees have been agreed between the US and Ukraine, according to the country’s state media.
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that a security guarantee agreement was “100 per cent ready” while secretary of state Marco Rubio said that it was dependent on the surrender of the Donbas region
Ukraine is seeking guarantees that would ensure that Russia could not continue to expand into its territory or invade again.
NATO warns Ukraine faces 'harshest winter' as Russia targets energy grid - ICYMI
Thursday 29 January 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftWatch: Zelensky warns Russia is planning ‘massive’ strike ahead of peace talks
Thursday 29 January 2026 22:25 , Harriette BoucherWhat do we know about the next round of peace talks?
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:59 , Harriette BoucherTrilateral peace talks are set to resume in Abu Dhabi this Sunday, following the first round of "constructive" negotiations last weekend.
On Thursday, the Kremlin said it had reiterated its invitation for Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Moscow for peace talks.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said there might be a US presence at the follow-up talks, but special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had taken part in the previous round of talks, would not be participating.
It follows the first round of three-way talks on Saturday and Sunday, which was the first trilateral meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia and Ukraine carry out new exchange of war dead
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:59 , Alex CroftRussia and Ukraine have carried out a new exchange of their war dead, allowing relatives of those killed to bury their loved ones.
Russia handed over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and Kyiv handed back the bodies of 38 Russian soldiers in return, according to Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Ukraine’s coordination centre for prisoner exchanges confirmed the exchange had taken place. The last exchange took place in October 2025 with both sides accusing each other of stalling new exchanges.
Ukraine will not miss out on opportunities for peace, says Zelensky
Thursday 29 January 2026 21:41 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will not miss out on any opportunity for peace or security guarantees, adding that the country is ready to make decisions.
He said: “We are communicating with our partners – with the American side – about truly effective formats and truly necessary results.
“Ukraine is ready for meetings, Ukraine is ready for decisions, and we expect our partners to be able to act as effectively as possible – in Europe, in the United States, everywhere. Exactly as required for a lasting peace.”
Trilateral peace talks are set to resume in Abu Dhabi this Sunday, following the first round of "constructive" talks over the weekend.
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:57 , Alex CroftFor average wage earners in Russia, it's a big payday. For criminals seeking to escape the harsh conditions and abuse in prison, it's a chance at freedom. For immigrants hoping for a better life, it's a simplified path to citizenship.
All they have to do is sign a contract to fight in Ukraine.
This desperate recruitment drive is part of Moscow's strategy to replenish its forces in the nearly four-year conflict, while simultaneously avoiding an unpopular nationwide mobilisation. The bloody war of attrition has also seen foreign combatants join the fray. Following a mutual defence treaty in 2024, North Korea reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia defend its Kursk region against a Ukrainian incursion.
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
Zelensky expects ceasefire to start - and thanks Trump for contacting Putin
Thursday 29 January 2026 20:51 , Alex RossVolodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he expected the implementation of an agreement by Russia not to fire on Kyiv and other cities for a week because of winter weather, as announced Donald Trump.
Zelensky said the days to come would show whether Moscow would abide by such an agreement.
"Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates. We expect the agreements to be implemented," Mr Zelensky wrote in English on X. "De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war."
Speaking immediately afterwards in his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky expressed his thanks to Washington for the initiative, which he described as halting Russian strikes on energy targets.
"Thanks to the American side for their efforts in ensuring a stop to strikes on energy (targets) at this time and let's hope that America succeeds in ensuring this," he said.
"We shall see what the real situation is with our energy facilities and cities in the days and nights to come.”
Trump says Putin has agreed to Kyiv ceasefire because of the cold temperatures
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:56 , Shaheena UddinUS president, Donald Trump has said that he asked Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop attacking Kyiv for a week because of the cold temperatures.
Mr Trump speaking in a cabinet meeting on Thursday cited how it’s “extraordinarily cold” with “record setting” temperatures and added that “it's a big pile of bad weather, the worst. They said they've never experienced cold like that” in Ukraine.
Trump said: “I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week and he agreed to do that and I have to tell you it was very nice.
“A lot of people said don't waste the call, you're not going to get that, and he did it and we're very happy that they did it.”
Zelensky warns Russia 'preparing a new massive strike'
Thursday 29 January 2026 17:51 , Alex CroftPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is preparing a “new massive strike” as he said the attacks discredited peace talks.
“The Russians are preparing a new massive strike – our intelligence indicates this,” he said in a video to his social media account on Wednesday.
“The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks. Every single Russian strike does.”
EU blacklists Russia for risk of money laundering
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:50 , Maira ButtRussia has been blacklisted by the European Union on Thursday due to a risk of money laundering, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
“This will slow down and increase the costs of transactions with Russian banks,” Kallas told reporters.
Donetsk ownership is final issue preventing peace deal says Rubio
Thursday 29 January 2026 16:20 , Maira ButtDonetsk remains the final contentious issue preventing a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, according to US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
“The one remaining item … is the territorial claim on Donetsk. There is active work going to try to see if both sides’ views on this can be reconciled,” he told a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting.
“It’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed. It’s still a gap, but at least we’ve been able to narrow down the issue set to one central one, and it will probably be a very difficult one.”
