The US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting concluded on January 24, with progress according to the United States and a meeting scheduled for February 1. The first day’s talks were held behind closed doors. Moscow wanted to discuss the “anchoring formula” agreed upon by Putin and Trump in August 2025, according to a Reuters source. This includes Russian control over all of Donbas and a freeze on the current front line in other regions. According to TASS, buffer zones and control mechanisms were discussed.
The second day of negotiations on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi was held with meetings in various formats, according to a TASS source. The negotiating teams in Abu Dhabi are simultaneously studying and discussing several documents on peace in Ukraine, according to TASS. The members of the Russian delegation are led by Kostyukov, Head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
RBC-Ukraine has learned the details of the talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi. “There has been no breakthrough on the political front: Russia insists on the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas, while Ukraine disagrees. However, greater progress has been made on the military front. The sides discussed: a possible disengagement of forces; mechanisms for monitoring the cessation of hostilities; the creation of a ceasefire monitoring and coordination center; and the definition of what exactly constitutes a ceasefire and its violations.”
Russia, the United States, and Ukraine have agreed to continue negotiations, US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said. “Negotiations are expected to continue next week in Abu Dhabi,” Witkoff wrote on his social media page. The date has been set for February 1, 2026.
The United States is allowing a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to take place soon, Axios reports, citing a Trump administration official. The United States considers its own security guarantees for Ukraine more important than those of Europe, Politico wrote after the Abu Dhabi talks: “The efforts of the ‘coalition of the willing’ are good. They have a couple of helicopters, a couple of troops, and a few guarantees here and there, but if you talk to the Ukrainians, what really matters are American security guarantees.”
The United States will supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference. And again afterward, Abu Dhabi stated: “My position on our territories remains unchanged” regarding Donbass. In its new National Defense Strategy, the United States defined Russia as a “persistent but manageable” threat to NATO’s eastern flanks.
Zelenskyy also stated: “The document on security guarantees is 100% ready; we are waiting for a signal from the United States regarding the date and place of signing. The document will then be sent to the US Congress and the Ukrainian Parliament for ratification.”
According to a document obtained by Politico, the United States and the EU intend to mobilize up to $800 billion in public and private funding to rebuild Ukraine after the war. The plan includes a 10-year recovery strategy through 2040, an accelerated EU accession process, and a launch phase within 100 days. It is part of a broader 20-point peace plan supported by the United States, assumes that security guarantees are already in place, and focuses on Ukraine’s transition from emergency aid to long-term economic self-sufficiency. Although Trump cut military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the war, a document obtained by Politico indicates the United States’ willingness to invest in the country after the war. Washington plans to finance essential mineral, infrastructure, energy, and technology projects.
Ukraine has received French Rodeur attack drones capable of attacking targets up to 500 km away, — France24. The model can function both as a reconnaissance drone and as a kamikaze drone. The drone’s cruising speed is 120 km/h, with a maximum flight altitude of 5,000 m. Meanwhile, the Rada, regarding the meetings in the UAE, said: “Either die or destroy Russia: we have no other choice,” according to Kostenko, Secretary of the Rada Defense Committee.
Rada MP Artem Dmytruk, who stated that Ukraine needs interethnic unity with Russia and Belarus, has a different opinion: “Normality is not war or hostility. Normality is the vision of The state is based on the unity of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus,” Dmytruk noted. According to the MP, Kiev needs a life without “armed borders, externally imposed guardians, and the execution of foreign orders.”
On January 24, Ukrainian media reported the decommissioning of Kyiv’s Thermal Power Plant No. 6. According to Ukrainian sources, Russian forces advanced near Predtechyne and Stupochky, in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). 800,000 customers were left without electricity due to power outages in Kyiv, according to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Over the weekend, Putin addressed journalists following meetings in Russia with Russian institutions and businesses. “Russia must not only keep pace with genetics, but also be ahead of the curve.” Putin did not rule out the possibility that global warming will be replaced by cooling, “but Russia will continue to develop the Arctic.”
Military pensions in Russia will be indexed starting October 1. 2026, provisionally 4%, but an increase has already been seen as the indexation date approaches. Source: Yaroslav Nilov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy, and Veterans’ Affairs, told TASS.
The most massive shelling of Belgorod has occurred. There are no casualties, the task force reports. Power plants have been damaged, Governor Gladkov stated. “As a result of the shelling, an outbuilding caught fire; the Ministry of Emergency Situations is extinguishing the fire. Falling debris caused a fire in one of the city’s courtyards. In the Belgorod district, in the village of Tavrovo, fallen debris damaged the roofs of two private homes,” Gladkov stated.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, told Rossiya 1 journalist Zarubin regarding global events: “Today, the world has changed radically and continues its trajectory of change. The current, impoverished generation of European politicians is unable to resist Trump’s assertiveness. The situation that has developed between the United States and Europe is the product of the hypocrisy that has dominated Europe for many years. Europe was shocked by Trump’s publication of his correspondence with Macron, but there was no similar reaction when Macron published his conversation with Putin. Trump’s method of resolving everything by force is called “kneeling” in Russian. Trump’s methods are not entirely in line with Russia’s approach to a multipolar world. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that neither Russia nor the United States intends to discuss anything with European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas. “We will wait until she leaves.”
The common interest of Russia and Europe is to prevent a new major war on the continent, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, stated in an interview with RBC. “On the one hand, it might seem that there are no such points at the moment.” “And that all bridges are destroyed. But, on the other hand, we live on the same continent and see the growing threat of military conflict,” the diplomat said. According to him, citizens of European countries are being “indoctrinated with the idea that Russia supposedly threatens peace in Europe,” its militarization is ongoing, and “we see a certain revanchism in Germany.” The United States has not yet requested an agreement for a new ambassador to Russia, Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on January 26. During the night, in the Krasnodar Krai, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged private homes in Slavyansk-na-Kuban, with one person injured. Ukrainian forces targeted an oil refinery. In Rostov Oblast, drones were destroyed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. Air defense activity has been reported in western Crimea.
Russian forces struck Zaporizhia. and nearby Vilnius. MLRS systems specifically targeted Zaporizhia.
In the Sumy region, assault units of the Northern Group of Forces continue to break through Ukrainian defenses, which are putting up resistance. In Chernihiv Oblast, strikes by Iskander-M tactical missile systems destroyed hangars housing attack drones during unloading operations. Five trucks, two pickups, and up to a platoon of soldiers were destroyed.
In the Belgorod region, in the village of Krasnaya Yaruga, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone strike injured three people.
In the Kharkiv region, the Northern Group of Forces is engaged in heavy fighting near Starytsya and Symynivka, in the Khatnie region. Ukrainian forces have reinforced their assault groups and are attempting a breakthrough A counterattack was launched with the support of special forces from the Central Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Further east, near Dehtyarne, there are reports of increased activity by Russian units near the village of Nesterne.
“Russian forces are using drones to disrupt Ukrainian counterattacks in the Kupyansk district,” according to official reports. Footage shows attacks on armored vehicles and Canadian pickup trucks, indicating that the Ukrainian forces retain the ability to conduct further localized operations in the sector. Kupyansk itself is in a state of disrepair, and fighting continues.
In Kostyantynivka, fighting is ongoing in the southeastern part of the city. Ukrainian forces report that Russian forces are using small-group assault tactics, the only option given the numerous Ukrainian drones. Increased activity by Russian units is noted near the Kleban-Byk reservoir and Yablunivka.
In the direction of Dobropillya, fighting is reported near Shakhove, Nove Shakhove, the village of Shakhove, and near Sofiivka. Conditions are being created for an access route to Druzhkivka through Tors’ke, which will soon allow the encirclement of Kostyantynivka from the west.
In the area of Hulyaijpole Ternuvate and Oleksandrivka, the “Vostok” group of forces has repelled several Ukrainian counterattacks over the past 24 hours, resulting in deaths and injuries. Several vehicles have been destroyed.
On the Zaporizhia front, heavy fighting is ongoing near Prymors’ke in difficult weather conditions. The enemy is still attempting to deploy small infantry units in the northern part, but these are being quickly destroyed thanks to the increased efforts of our drone units. Fighting is also ongoing near Luk’yanivs’ke.
Graziella Giangiulio
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