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The Kremlin said connected Thursday (January 29, 2026) that Russia had reiterated its invitation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to travel to Moscow for bid talks, arsenic U.S.-led efforts to scope a woody to extremity the nearly four-year warfare successful Ukraine intensify.
The Kremlin made its connection arsenic the 2 countries carried retired their latest speech of warfare dead, and hours aft it declined to remark connected rumours that Moscow and Kyiv person agreed to halt striking each other's vigor infrastructure.
Washington-mediated bid talks successful Abu Dhabi past play person injected immoderate caller momentum into efforts to clinch a bid deal, but profound differences persist betwixt the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating stances. Fierce warring is inactive raging, portion Kyiv battles debilitating powerfulness outages caused by caller rocket strikes.
An unnamed U.S. authoritative told Axios on Saturday that Mr. Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin were "very close" to mounting up a gathering aft the U.S.-mediated talks.
A caller circular of Abu Dhabi talks betwixt Russian and Ukrainian negotiating delegations is scheduled for Sunday (January 31), and U.S. President Donald Trump — who is pushing for a woody to extremity Europe's biggest struggle since World War Two — said connected Tuesday that "very bully things" were happening successful the process.
Major disagreements stay though, including implicit who gets what territory successful immoderate deal, the imaginable beingness of planetary peacekeepers oregon monitors successful post-war Ukraine, and the destiny of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, cited by the Interfax news agency, said connected Thursday that Moscow had not yet received a effect to its invitation for Mr. Zelenskyy to travel to Moscow.
Mr. Zelenskyy rejected a akin invitation past year, saying helium could not to spell to the superior of a federation that was firing missiles astatine his state each day. He suggested astatine the clip that Mr. Putin travel to Kyiv instead.
Any gathering betwixt Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy would request to beryllium good prepared and results-oriented, Kremlin overseas argumentation adjutant Yuri Ushakov said connected Wednesday. He said Zelenskyy's information would beryllium guaranteed if helium came to Moscow.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Wednesday described the 2 sides' disagreement implicit who gets what territory arsenic the 1 cardinal contented which was "very difficult" to resolve.
Russia wants Ukrainian forces to retreat from the astir 20% of Donetsk portion which the Russian Army does not control.
Kyiv has said it does not privation to acquisition Moscow territory which Russia has not won connected the battlefield and which could service arsenic a level successful aboriginal for Russian forces to propulsion deeper into Ukraine.
Mr. Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, said connected Thursday helium didn't respect the onshore contented arsenic the lone cardinal 1 near connected the table.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov formed uncertainty connected the viability of immoderate information guarantees that Washington mightiness beryllium capable to supply Ukraine arsenic portion of a deal, saying helium doubted they could usher successful an enduring bid if they were designed to support Ukraine's existent governmental enactment successful power.
Meanwhile, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed person of Chechnya successful confederate Russia, called for much warfare alternatively than bid successful comments that bespeak a content among hardliners that Moscow is winning connected the battlefield.
"I believe the warfare indispensable beryllium taken to its conclusion," helium told reporters astatine the Kremlin. "I americium against negotiations."
