Russia Ukraine War

Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv have met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered talks to end the nearly four-year war. The discussions on Wednesday came as Russian cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. The talks include U.S. officials and aim to address key issues. But previous negotiations last month yielded no breakthroughs. The meeting also coincides with the expiry of the last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States. Moscow has continued to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure that has caused widespread damage. Ukrainian officials have expressed outrage. And repair crews are working to restore power amid freezing temperatures.

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to reestablish high-level, military-to-military dialogue for the first time in more than four years. The step is another sign of warming relations between the two countries since President Donald Trump took office and sought to end the war in Ukraine. The agreement emerged from a meeting between senior Russian and American military officials in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. High-level military communication was suspended in 2021, as relations between Moscow and Washington became increasingly strained ahead of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Meanwhile, talks in Abu Dhabi between American, Russian and Ukrainian officials on ending the war entered a second day.

Almost 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and just over 40,000 injured since the start of the war through last December.