Abu Dhabi [UAE], January 25: The first three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US have ended with no apparent breakthrough, following renewed Russian bombardment of Ukrainian targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the possibility of a second meeting as early as next week after two days of talks in Abu Dhabi. Later, a US official said the next round would begin on Sunday next week.
The meeting concluded after waves of Russian strikes killed one person and injured 35 others overnight into Saturday.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the "brutal" attack - "cynically" ordered by Russian leader Vladimir Putin - had "hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table".
The talks in Abu Dhabi were first trilateral meeting since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.
"The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war. I highly value the understanding of the need for American monitoring and oversight of the process of ending the war and ensuring genuine security," he said.
He added that all sides had agreed to "report back to their capitals" and coordinate further steps with their leaders.
"The military representatives identified a list of issues for a potential next meeting. Provided there is readiness to move forward - and Ukraine is ready - further meetings will take place, potentially as early as next week."
Russian news agency RIA also reported Moscow remained open to a continuation of dialogue between Russia, Ukraine and the US. An unnamed US official later confirmed that the next round talks would begin on 1 February, AFP and Reuters news agencies reported.
Following overnight Russian attacks, the mayor of Ukrainian capital Kiev said one person had died and four had been wounded while Kharkiv's mayor reported that 31 people had been hurt.
On the second day of the three-way talks in Abu Dhabi, Sybiha said the "barbaric" overnight assault proved "that Putin's place is not at the board of peace, but at the dock of the special tribunal".
US President Donald Trump said last week that Putin had accepted an invitation to join his Board of Peace - an organisation focused on ending global conflicts. Putin has not confirmed this.
Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that three of the four people who had been injured had been hospitalised.
He added that the capital's critical infrastructure had been damaged, leaving 6,000 buildings without heating.
Temperatures have fallen to around -12C in parts of Ukraine. In a statement following the assaults, Zelensky said: "The main target of the Russians was the energy infrastructure." Last week, Russia attacked Kiev's power infrastructure, forcing Zelensky to initially call off his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 31 people had been injured during the strikes in the early hours of Saturday morning. A maternity hospital and a hostel for displaced people were damaged.
Russia occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine, including parts of the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to hand over large areas of the territory, but Ukraine has ruled this out.
In Davos, Zelensky said: "It's all about the land. This is the issue which is not solved yet." He said that he had reached an agreement with Trump on future US security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a deal.
Source: Qatar Tribune