MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Russia, the US, and Ukraine noted cautious progress in Abu Dhabi talks; the EU plans to accelerate militarization over the next three years; and the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy moves US military focus to the Western Hemisphere. These stories topped Monday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Moscow, Washington, and Kiev have achieved a certain degree of progress in efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict during talks in Abu Dhabi, analysts interviewed by Izvestia say. The next round of dialogue in the United Arab Emirates is planned as early as this week. The first meeting of the parties was productive, although no specific agreements were officially announced. For now, the main outcome has been the resumption of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, the previous round of which took place six months ago in Istanbul. Against this backdrop, however, Ukraine’s Armed Forces have intensified strikes on Russian regions, and their objective is either another disruption of the negotiating process or the possible inclusion of European representatives in it, officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia.
A new meeting of the delegations of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine may take place in Abu Dhabi as early as next week, a number of media outlets report, citing their own sources. For now, the negotiators are returning to their respective capitals to brief their leadership and receive updated instructions. A meeting of a bilateral Russia-US working group, to be headed by Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff, has also been announced. Among other matters, the parties plan to discuss Russian assets frozen in the United States.
