US envoy Witkoff to attend Ukraine-Russia talks

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, will ultimately participate in talks between Ukraine and Russia, which will take place in Abu Dhabi. This was reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, according to whom Witkoff will first visit Israel and hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He will then travel to the United Arab Emirates, where he will attend talks on February 4 and 5. His participation comes as a surprise, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently claimed that this round of talks would take place without him and Jared Kushner.

The negotiations are currently at an impasse. According to Politico, Kyiv and Moscow have been unable to overcome fundamental differences on territorial claims, security guarantees for Ukraine, and whether a ceasefire should precede or follow an agreement.

The future of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant also remains a particularly sensitive issue, with conflicting proposals from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

(mja)