The second round of trilateral negotiations regarding a possible peace in Ukraine starts today in Abu Dhabi. Pessimistic sentiment from Kiev.

Ukrainians and Russians will sit down again at the same table with the Americans on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss ending the war, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pessimistic, emphasizing that Russia's ongoing attacks complicate negotiations.

Negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, the bloodiest in Europe since World War II, continue to be complicated by recent Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's energy network, leaving many areas without electricity and heat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that these attacks demonstrate Moscow's lack of seriousness regarding diplomacy. The main sticking point in the discussions remains the fate of the territories in eastern Ukraine, with Russia demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas and international recognition of the occupied territories. Ukraine rejects any cession of territory and proposes to freeze the conflict along the current front line. Delegations from both countries, led by experienced negotiators, are preparing for discussions, but the majority of the Ukrainian population opposes ceding territory. At the same time, Zelensky is calling on Western allies to intensify military support and pressure on the Kremlin.