Putin met Trump’s envoys overnight, but the one demand Moscow won’t drop could derail everything

In a major diplomatic push, U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian envoys met in the United Arab Emirates for two days of talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year war. The meetings began Friday, January 23, 2026, marking the first known time officials from President Trump’s administration have engaged simultaneously with negotiators from both Kyiv and Moscow as part of Washington’s peace effort.

As detailed by AP News, the White House described the talks as productive, but the underlying disagreements remain severe. The central obstacle continues to be Russia’s position on territory, an issue that has stalled previous attempts at a settlement.

Moscow has made clear that any long-term agreement would require Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the eastern regions that Russia annexed but never fully occupied. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said a deal “can’t be expected without solving the territorial issue,” underscoring how firm that demand remains.

The territorial line that Russia refuses to cross

The Abu Dhabi talks followed hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met overnight with President Trump’s envoys in Moscow. The U.S. delegation included Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum, head of the Federal Acquisition Service, with Ushakov characterizing those discussions as frank, constructive, and fruitful, and coinciding with broader international reactions to Trump’s foreign policy posture, such as recent criticism from a former White House press secretary.

President Trump addressed the negotiations after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in the week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said the meeting went well and that he believes both Putin and Zelenskyy want a deal, adding that “everyone’s making concessions.” He also acknowledged that boundaries remain the main hold-up, a dispute he said has dominated talks for the past year.

For Ukraine, the future of the eastern Donbas region is central to the discussions. Zelenskyy told reporters that while the status of Russian-occupied territory is unresolved, broader peace proposals are nearly ready. He also said he discussed the idea of creating a free trade zone in eastern Ukraine under Kyiv’s control, calling it a potential boost for Ukrainian business.

Zelenskyy said he has been receiving near-hourly updates from Ukraine’s delegation in Abu Dhabi and is pressing for tangible results. He stressed that Russia must show it is prepared to end the war it started, adding that his government expects clear answers from Moscow.

Ukraine enters the talks under growing strain at home. The country is facing troop shortages, with reports of roughly 200,000 desertions and around two million draft dodgers, while continuing to depend heavily on Western military support.

Those pressures were reflected in Zelenskyy’s sharp remarks toward European allies during his Davos speech. He criticized Europe for slow decision-making, insufficient defense spending, and failing to curb Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers used to evade sanctions, comparing the situation to the film Groundhog Day and saying that a year had passed with little change, even as other geopolitical controversies swirl, including new GOP-related stories about ICE operations that targeted an off-duty cop.