Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has taunted Russian President Vladimir Putin, questioning why the Russian leader remains in power as diplomatic efforts to end the war between the two countries failed to produce an agreement.
Speaking in Copenhagen, Zelensky criticised the lack of progress in efforts to stop the conflict, which has continued for almost five years.
“Nobody stopped Putin. Nobody destroyed him. And he is still alive,” the Ukrainian president said.
“God bless, he is hearing us, listening to us. Maybe we’ll do something. It’s really a huge problem.”
His remarks came after two days of US-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Abu Dhabi ended without a significant breakthrough.
Prisoner Exchange Agreed Despite Lack of Peace Deal
Although the negotiations failed to secure an agreement to end the fighting, both countries confirmed plans for a major exchange of prisoners of war.
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, described the proposed arrangement as one of the positive outcomes of the discussions.
“One of the positives is we agreed that we’re going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we’re going to finalize the numbers tomorrow,” he said.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, and Ukraine’s delegation leader, Rustem Umerov, confirmed that an exchange had been agreed in principle.
The two countries have conducted prisoner exchanges at various points throughout the conflict, although they remain divided over the conditions required for a comprehensive peace settlement.
Russia Maintains Its Position on Occupied Ukrainian Territory
Despite the diplomatic discussions, Moscow gave little indication that it was prepared to abandon its territorial demands.
Medinsky reiterated Russia’s position during the negotiations, declaring: “Every inch of our land will be reclaimed by Russia, one way or another.”
The future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory remains one of the biggest obstacles to an agreement.
Other major disagreements include security guarantees for both countries and the potential involvement of European nations in any eventual peace settlement.
US Envoys Prepare to Meet Putin and Zelensky
Following the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi discussions, Kushner announced that he and US special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Putin.
The American representatives are then expected to travel to Dublin, Ireland, for a meeting with Zelensky.
Kushner said the discussions were intended to make progress on outstanding issues, including security arrangements for both countries.
He also acknowledged the lack of confidence between Moscow and Kyiv.
“The reality is, is there’s no trust right now between the sides. And that’s to be expected after a conflict like this,” he said.
The latest meeting was the first direct trilateral session between the delegations since February, when negotiations took place in Geneva.
Ukraine Seeks European Involvement in Security Discussions
Ukraine’s delegation was also expected to meet representatives from European governments, the European Union and Nato later on Wednesday.
The officials were in Abu Dhabi but did not participate in the three-way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Umerov confirmed that Kyiv’s representatives would hold separate discussions with the European delegates.
Moscow has opposed the direct involvement of European countries in the negotiations, accusing them of financing Ukraine’s war effort and supplying weapons to its military.
However, Kushner said one of the objectives of the planned meeting with Putin was to explore how European representatives could be included in the discussions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said European officials could eventually participate in the peace process but questioned their willingness to contribute to an agreement.
He said their current statements did not indicate “any desire on their part to contribute to movement along the path toward peace”.
Security Guarantees Remain a Major Obstacle
The question of security guarantees continues to complicate negotiations between the two countries.
Ukraine wants assurances that Russia will not launch another invasion if a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached.
European Union officials have also maintained that discussions about the continent’s future security arrangements should only begin after a ceasefire.
Many European countries view Russia’s involvement in those arrangements as a concession to Putin, who has repeatedly identified Nato’s eastward expansion as a major security threat.
Moscow has demanded that Nato withdraw its troops from areas close to Russian borders.
Kushner said Russia’s security concerns had been discussed during the Abu Dhabi negotiations.
However, he added that Moscow would need to present different proposals on de-escalation before its demands could be acceptable to European countries.
He also stressed that European governments, the EU and Nato would need to participate in discussions about future security arrangements to establish a common position.
Political and Military Pressures Complicate Negotiations
The diplomatic situation has also changed since the previous round of discussions in February.
The Trump administration is now facing the prospect of Democrats taking control of the US Congress in January following the midterm elections, potentially increasing pressure for continued American support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia’s wartime economy is experiencing significant strain, while Ukraine continues to deal with extensive damage to its electricity infrastructure following Russian aerial attacks.
Fighting has continued along the front lines, with little territorial movement recorded this year.
Both countries have maintained their long-range attacks using missiles and drones, targeting military and infrastructure facilities.
Analysts and humanitarian organisations estimate that the war has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians.
Russian Attacks Kill Three People in Odesa
The negotiations took place as Russian attacks continued across Ukraine.
Three people were killed and 11 others injured after Russian forces launched a daytime attack on a market in the southern Odesa region, according to local authorities.
Oleh Kiper, head of the regional military administration, said residential buildings were also damaged in the attack and emergency response teams were deployed.
Overnight strikes also targeted the southern Zaporizhzhia region and the eastern city of Kharkiv, leaving seven civilians injured and causing property damage, Ukrainian officials reported.
Images from Zaporizhzhia showed flames rising from the wreckage of a residential building following a Russian airstrike.
A police officer was also pictured rescuing an injured dog from the aftermath of the attack.
Russia Reports Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Intercepted
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems had destroyed 627 Ukrainian drones overnight.
According to Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, 150 of the drones were intercepted in the area surrounding St Petersburg.
The drone attacks also sparked a fire at the port of Ust-Luga, one of Russia’s major oil export facilities.
Drozdenko said three workers were injured in the incident.
The latest attacks and the absence of a peace agreement underline the continuing military confrontation between the two countries, despite renewed diplomatic efforts led by Washington.
