High expectations for peace were tempered with low optimism as envoys from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States convened in Abu Dhabi for their first trilateral talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Hopes for a breakthrough were immediately challenged by the Kremlin's resolute stance, vowing not to concede its demand for control over the entire Donbas territory in eastern Ukraine. Mediators, including Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, aimed to facilitate a deal after hundreds of thousands of deaths, though it remained unclear if the deeply divided Moscow and Kyiv delegations would even share the same room.

Despite President Trump's assertions that both Ukraine and Russia desired a deal, and his renewed boast of ending the conflict, talks commenced amidst escalating hostilities. Simultaneously, President Putin ordered severe military strikes, plunging Ukraine into its most profound energy crisis of the four-year war. These attacks targeted critical power and heating infrastructure in major cities, including Kyiv, amid freezing temperatures of minus 10°C to minus 12°C. Putin's determination to secure Donbas through any deal persisted, even as his troops continued to struggle in winning the territory after nearly 50 months of arduous warfare.

Ukraine vehemently condemned these fresh waves of Russian strikes. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the