News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social networking platform Telegram on Sunday to say that the next round of trilateral talks between his country, the United States and Russia will take place on February 4 and 5. The discussions will be organised in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Ukrainian leader's remarks come at a time when the ongoing war in Europe -- which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 -- is set to enter the fifth year in a row over the next few weeks.

The talks were initially anticipated to talk place last weekend.

Stating that his country's negotiating team has "just delivered a report", Zelenskyy confirmed the dates of the much-awaited peace talks. The Donald Trump 2.0 administration is attempting to mediate peace talks between the two European nations -- one of the several geopolitical conflicts that the US president has time and time again tried to take credit for.

Zelenskyy wrote that his country is "ready for a substantive discussion" and interested in ensuring that the outcome brings it "closer to a real and dignified end to the war".

While Russia is one of the major European and global powers, Ukraine is among the smaller European economies. While both European nations have weakened due to their ongoing conflict, the impact on Ukraine has been much worse.

In 2022 alone, Ukraine's GDP contracted by about 29 per cent due to Russia’s invasion, according to foreign media reports quoting official data.

The 47th American president has been trying to position himself as a peacemaker --especially in the Russia-Ukraine war.

He has repeatedly described himself as wanting to be a global peacemaker and unifier in foreign conflicts, including India's retaliatory action -- called Operation Sindoor -- against Pakistan's failed attempts at attacking the Indian soil last year. India has rejected claims of Trump's mediation.

Trump's peacemaker ambition has repeatedly has been tested by ongoing conflicts and diplomatic setbacks, such as the faltering Gaza ceasefire negotiations. His peacemaker pledge reportedly took a hit after Israel’s strikes on Iran, showing the gap between rhetoric and results.

The US president has batted for negotiations to end the Ukraine-Russia war.

US-Russia-Ukraine discussions have been described as “constructive” with Trump’s involvement.

India has officially rejected claims that it accepted or agreed to US (including Trump’s) mediation, according to foreign media.

Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions on the subject:

How old is the Ukraine-Russia war?

The ongoing Ukraine-Russia war began in early 2022 when Russia -- under the rule of President Vladimir Putin -- invaded Ukraine.

What are these peace talks for?

The peace talks are aimed at resolving the war between the two European nations, putting an end to the nearly four-year-long war between them.

Where will the talks take place?

The peace talks will be organised in the UAE.

What are trilateral discussions?

Trilateral discussions or talks involve three parties, like bilateral talks, which are talks held between two parties.

Why does the US want to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?

The Trump 2.0 administration aims to position itself as a peacemaker while possibly achieving a diplomatic breakthrough.

Is this the first time that the US has engaged in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia?

All three sides reportedly met in Abu Dhabi in January, marking the first formal trilateral talks on peace parameters since the onset of war in 2022. The upcoming talks will be a follow-up round to those discussions, with the US involved alongside Moscow and Kyiv.