MBABANE: Ukrainian and Russian officials have wrapped up their first day of United States-mediated peace talks and are set to reconvene Thursday, according to Kyiv’s chief negotiator, Aljazeera reported on Thursday.
It has been reported that, Rustem Umerov, the Head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, described Wednesday’s negotiations in Abu Dhabi as “substantive and productive”.
But talks are due to continue into a second day, his spokesperson Diana Davityan said, though no major advance towards ending the nearly four-year war was announced.
The positive outlook came despite fears the talks would be marred by a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities said the latest strikes included one that killed seven people at a crowded market, while others further damaged Kyiv’s power infrastructure amid freezing temperatures.
Nevertheless, the talks “focused on concrete steps and practical solutions”, said Umerov.
Secretary of Ukraine\'s National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov and other Ukrainian officials attend the second round of trilateral talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 4 (UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Aljazeera).