Ukraine Accuses Putin of “Cynical” Attacks During Abu Dhabi Peace Talks

Post by : Saif

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, has strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s major cities while peace talks were ongoing in Abu Dhabi. Sybiha described the attack as “cynical” and “barbaric,” saying it proves that Putin does not belong at the peace table.

The attacks, which occurred early Saturday, targeted Kyiv and Kharkiv, injuring at least 23 people and killing one. Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces used 375 drones and 21 missiles in the strikes. Much of the damage focused on energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and heat in freezing winter conditions. In Kyiv alone, approximately 800,000 people were left without electricity, and emergency services struggled to restore essential utilities.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had previously warned that it was too early to draw conclusions from the Abu Dhabi talks. He stressed the importance of Russia demonstrating a genuine commitment to ending the war. The peace talks, brokered by the United States, involve negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., and are focused on finding a diplomatic resolution to the nearly four-year conflict.

However, Russia’s insistence on Ukraine surrendering its eastern Donbas region, including Donetsk and Luhansk, has remained a major obstacle. Russian forces control parts of the area, but Ukraine still holds about 20% of Donetsk, roughly 5,000 square kilometers. Zelenskiy has firmly rejected territorial concessions, reflecting the sentiment of the Ukrainian public, which polls show opposes giving up land not yet captured by Russia.

Before Saturday’s strikes, Kyiv had already experienced two large-scale attacks since the beginning of the New Year. These attacks caused widespread outages of electricity and heating, affecting hundreds of residential buildings and leaving the population vulnerable to freezing temperatures around -10 Celsius.

While Russia has claimed to seek a diplomatic solution, it continues to rely on military force to achieve its goals when negotiations stall. Ukraine has emphasized that military pressure during peace talks undermines trust and diminishes the prospects for a meaningful resolution.

The latest missile attacks illustrate the ongoing challenges to peace in the region. As negotiations continue, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that ends the suffering of millions of Ukrainians while upholding their territorial integrity.

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