Overview
- Steve Witkoff is reported to travel to Abu Dhabi for Ukraine-Russia negotiations on Feb. 4–5, joining a trilateral round following talks held Jan. 23–24.
- The agenda is expected to prioritize an energy ceasefire and terms for Donbas, with U.S. officials citing territory in eastern Ukraine as the main holdup.
- Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede all of Donetsk and Luhansk, including areas not under Russian control, which remains a major obstacle.
- Volodymyr Zelensky met Ukrainian negotiators on Feb. 2, said work on security guarantees is complete, and noted planned bilateral meetings with U.S. officials on recovery and economic cooperation.
- Witkoff is expected to stop in Israel before the UAE and is reportedly slated to meet Iran’s Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Feb. 6 to discuss a potential nuclear deal, though that meeting could still fall through.