Ukraine peace talks hit setback after Russia and US meet without Kyiv

Peace between Ukraine, Russia and the United States have hit a setback after a surprise meeting between American and Russian negotiators in Florida. Envoys from the three countries had been expected to meet in Abu Dhabi to continue talks on Sunday (February 1).

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday morning that they would take place on Wednesday and Thursday (February 4-5) instead. He wrote in a post on Telegram: "Ukraine is ready for substantive talks and we are interested in an outcome that will bring us closer to a real and dignified end to the war."

The delay came after US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Russia's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, without the Ukrainians on Saturday. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin have said what was discussed. Mr Witkoff said on social media that the meeting was "productive and constructive".

He wrote that the US had been "encouraged" by the meeting that Russia was "working toward" securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for Mr Trump's "critical leadership" in seeking a durable and lasting peace.

The first trilateral talks took place on January 23 and 24 in Abu Dhabi and were described by all sides as "constructive".

Officials have so far revealed few details of the talks, which form part of an effort by the Trump administration to end almost four years of all-out war.

While Ukrainian and Russian officials have agreed in principle with Washington’s calls for a compromise, Moscow and Kyiv differ deeply over what an agreement should look like.

A central issue is whether Russia should keep or withdraw from the areas of Ukraine its forces have occupied - especially the Donbas industrial heartland - and whether it should get land there which it hasn’t captured.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro hit a bus carrying mineworkers, killing at least a dozen people.

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said it owned the bus and accused Russia of carrying out a large-scale terrorist attack on its mines in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The strike came just days after Mr Trump said the Kremlin had agreed to temporarily halt the targeting of Kyiv and other cities.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on Sunday said the strike in Dnipro was "a cynical and targeted attack on energy sector workers".

Hours earlier, Ukraine's emergency services reported Russian attack drones injured six people at a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine.