Russia Shows No Compromise as U.S., Ukraine, Russia Meet in Abu Dhabi

On January 23 2026, delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia gathered in Abu Dhabi for a trilateral forum aimed at ending the war that began with Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier that week before heading to the Middle East. Putin demanded that Kyiv surrender about 5 000 sq km of the Donetsk region – roughly the size of Prince Edward Island – while insisting on other non‑negotiables such as a ban on Western arms to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the land concession but said security‑guarantee documents are ready. Casualty reports note that Trump cited about 31 000 soldiers killed last month; the U.K. Ministry of Defence estimates Russia suffered over 400 000 casualties in 2025.