The negotiations in Abu Dhabi on the Russian-Ukrainian war ended in a stalemate. Thanks to Emirati mediation, 157 Russian and 157 Ukrainian prisoners are returning to their respective countries. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, “Three civilians from the Kursk region, illegally detained by Kiev, were also returned as part of the exchange.” The Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, while the Ukrainians have already reached their destination in Ukraine.
Witkoff, however, called the negotiations on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi “detailed and productive” and that discussions will continue in the coming weeks. He said there is still much work to be done in these negotiations. In fact, Americans. And the Americans have discussed the START agreements.
“Russia and the United States are close to extending the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START),” Axios reports. “The draft plan requires the approval of both presidents: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.” Russia and the United States have agreed to resume high-level military contacts, according to the US European Command. It specifies that this occurred following meetings in Abu Dhabi.
General Alexus Grinkevich has been authorized by the US to conduct a dialogue with Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to “provide a mechanism to prevent an inadvertent escalation.”
Security guarantees for Ukraine could include not peacekeeping forces, but a rapid response from a multinational force, TASS reports, citing a Western source in Abu Dhabi. RIA Novosti reports a “positive” atmosphere during the talks on Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates. “Overall, there is a positive atmosphere during the talks,” the agency’s source said.
In Europe, EU ambassadors have agreed on a mechanism to provide Ukraine with €90 billion in financing, Reuters reports. Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have confirmed their refusal to participate in a €90 billion (8.2 trillion rubles) loan to Ukraine for 2026-2027, according to the EU Council.
The number of countries willing to return to dialogue with Russia is growing. “Latvia and Estonia support dialogue with the Kremlin,” Euronews reported. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Estonian President Alar Karis called on the European Union to appoint a special envoy to participate in negotiations with the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine. Silina and Karis noted that any communication with Russia should take place in consultation with Ukraine and proposed that the negotiator, yet to be appointed, be a consensus figure. Previously, Italian Prime Minister Meloni stated that the time had come for Europe to engage with Russia.
“Finland has opposed providing Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5,” Politico reported. Finnish representatives expressed concern that this wording could create confusion between NATO’s collective guarantees and bilateral obligations towards Ukraine after the end of the war. Article 5 of the NATO Charter stipulates that an attack on one member of the Alliance is considered an attack on all members, requiring joint defensive action.
Finally, in an unconfirmed report, French presidential diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne visited Moscow, Reuters reported. The purpose of the visit is to establish a dialogue. The source did not provide details. The Elysée Palace neither confirmed nor denied this information.
The Ukrainians returned from Abu Dhabi on February 4, declaring that the talks were concluded. “The surrender of Ukrainian territories is treason. Anyone who considers it will be held accountable,” says Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Rada’s National Security Committee.
According to the president’s statements: “Ukraine has lost 55,000 soldiers since the beginning of World War II.” There is also “a large number of people” whom Ukraine considers missing. These numbers are hard to believe if the figures for the deliveries of bodies made by Russia to Ukraine are true: “12,000 Ukrainian servicemen have fallen in the war since June last year alone.” Meanwhile, on February 17 of last year, Zelensky spoke of 46,000 deaths, which means that, according to his version, the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces for the year amounted to 9,000 and not 12,000 as reported by the Russians.
Oleg Lugovskiy will temporarily take over the post, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decree, which replaced the Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, was issued. Previously, Oleh Ivashchenko served as head of the SVR, and Lugovskiy was his deputy. In early January, Ivashchenko was appointed head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, replacing Kirill Budanov.
An “anti-drone net tunnel” has been installed in the center of Kyiv, near the former Peoples’ Friendship Arch (now the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People).
On February 4, a department head and seven officers from the 2nd Directorate of the SBU’s GU “D” were arrested and taken into custody in Ukraine. GU “D” is the former “K,” which was hidden in the DZND (Department of National State Defense). These citizens were charged with drug trafficking (305, 307), treason, and espionage. The head of the police oversight department, his deputy, six detectives, and three regional staff members were arrested. The head had $1.5 million in his cryptocurrency wallet.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin ordered the development of Russian language teaching aids for students in the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions. Commenting on the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Foreign Minister Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov said: “Russia has never changed its position on Ukraine.”
The Ministry has issued a series of statements on the termination of the START agreements: “In February 2023, Russia suspended the START Treaty, a forced measure in response to the extremely hostile policies of the Biden administration. The destructive measures of the United States have made the full implementation of the START Treaty counterproductive for Russia. Simultaneously with the suspension of the agreement, Russia declared its intention to voluntarily maintain its commitment to the limits contained in the START Treaty until its expiration. In 2025, Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow was ready to continue complying with the treaty limits for one year after February 5, 2026. There was no official reaction from the United States to this proposal by the Russian President. Russia now assumes that the parties to the New START Treaty are no longer bound by any obligations or symmetrical declarations under the Treaty. Russia intends to act responsibly and prudently, formulating its policy on the New START Treaty based on a thorough analysis of US military policy and the overall strategic situation. Moscow is ready to adopt decisive military-technical countermeasures to mitigate potential further threats to national security. At the same time, Russia remains open to finding ways to stabilize the strategic situation.”
The highest UN authority also intervened on the matter: “The termination of the New START Treaty has created a threat to global security,” declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The world, he said, is entering “uncharted territory.”
The head of the German diplomatic mission was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note declaring the diplomatic official at the German Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. The ministry explained that this was a symmetrical response to the decision of the German government, which, as the Foreign Ministry emphasized, “bears responsibility for the new escalation in bilateral relations.” German authorities declared the Russian diplomat persona non grata on January 22, 2026.
And now a look at the frontline, updated at 3:30 PM on February 5. Due to a massive Starlink outage at the frontline, Elon Musk will confirm on social media the need to register terminals through Ukrainian government agencies.
Ukrainian Armed Forces military vehicles were destroyed in the cities of Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Bataysk, Novoshakhtinsk, and the Azovsky District. In Bataysk, a truck driver was injured, and five vehicles in a farm parking lot and a warehouse were damaged. In Novoshakhtinsk, a private residence was damaged. Several missiles were shot down over Belgorod and its suburbs, injuring one man. Yesterday, several drones were shot down over the Zaporizhia region.
In the Bryansk region, two civilians were injured in an attack on the village of Demyanki. On the morning of the 3rd, Ukrainian forces used Haimar MLRS, fixed-wing jet drones, and Neptune missiles. Russian air defenses were active. In the village of Glinishchevo, a brick house was destroyed. One injured.
In the direction of Sumy, the Northern Group of Forces is conducting offensive operations in the districts of Sumy, Krasnopil’s’kyi District, and Hlukhiv. Mutual attacks are ongoing in the areas of Tetkino and Hlukhivs’kyi District.
In the Belgorod region, 13 civilians were injured in small drone strikes in several villages in the border areas.
On the Kharkiv front, the Northern Group of Forces is attacking in the same areas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been forced to redeploy units from one sector of the front in Sumy Oblast to another.
On the southern front near Kupyansk, there are no updates; the “pie-shaped” situation currently shows no progress on either side.
On the Slovyansk front, Ukrainian forces are forced to acknowledge Russian successes south of Platonivka, in the Zakitne area, and in the direction of Kryva Luka. Judging by the map, Russian forces are straightening the front and gradually eliminating pockets formed by previous penetrations of Ukrainian defenses.
Fighting continues in Hryshyne and north of Pokrovsk. In Dobropillya District, Russian forces have advanced near Toretske, where heavy fighting has continued for Shakhove and Sofiivka (the Russian side claims to have captured these towns).
Further southwest, fighting continues along the access roads to Bilytsk. Russian units have advanced near the town of Dorozhnje. Fighting is ongoing for Novyi Donbas.
The status of the central part of Rodynsk remains uncertain. The town itself and its The center has changed hands several times, making it currently impossible to determine control with certainty.
The Vostok Group of Forces reported successes in the village of Staroukrainka, in Zaporizhia Oblast. On the Zaporizhia front, Ukrainian forces continue to deploy small groups in Prymors’ke, where prolonged fighting is ongoing. North of Malokaterynivka, the Ukrainians have established defensive lines.
Graziella Giangiulio
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