Published on: 04/02/2026 - 06:56 Modified on: 05/02/2026 - 03:55

Ukrainian, Russian and American negotiators completed the first day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday aimed at ending four years of war in Ukraine, after a Russian bombing left at least seven dead in the morning. For his part, President Zelensky announced that around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the Russian invasion. Here is the thread for February 4, 2026.

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Ukraine and Russia continue talks in Abu Dhabi

Ukraine and Russia are due to continue their talks on Thursday in the presence of the Americans in Abu Dhabi, in a context of sustained pressure from Moscow which is still seeking to impose its conditions on kyiv.

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Conquering eastern Ukraine would cost Russia 800,000 deaths, says Zelensky

Russia would have to sacrifice 800,000 additional men for two years if it had to militarily conquer eastern Ukraine, which it wants to monopolize, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

“To conquer eastern Ukraine, it would cost them 800,000 more corpses,” he said on France 2. “It will take them at least two years with very slow progress. In my opinion, they will not last that long,” he estimated.

Around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since the start of the war

Around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the Ukrainian war in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday, also referring to a "large number" of those missing in their ranks.

“In Ukraine, officially, on the battlefield, the number of soldiers killed, whether career or mobilized, is 55,000. And there are a large number of people that Ukraine considers missing,” he told France 2.

Zelensky says he expects prisoner exchange with Russia 'in the near future'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he expected a new exchange of prisoners with Russia "in the near future".

"We anticipate an exchange of prisoners of war in the near future. We must bring our captives home," the Ukrainian president said in his daily address.

kyiv calls Abu Dhabi talks 'substantial and productive'

The main Ukrainian negotiator reported “substantial and productive” discussions with Russia at the end of a new exchange session on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi under the mediation of the United States. Update with our columnist Bruno Daroux.

Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic advisor visited Moscow on Tuesday

Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian officials, a source briefed on the trip told Reuters on Wednesday.

No details were given by this source, except that the objective was to have a dialogue between the two parties.

The information was first reported by L'Express.

The Élysée neither confirmed nor denied the information, declaring: "As the president said during his extended microphone yesterday (Tuesday), discussions exist at the technical level in transparency and in consultation with the (Ukrainian Volodymyr) President Zelensky and with the main European colleagues."

Emmanuel Macron and his diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne, during a meeting at the Élysée Palace, in Paris, February 24, 2023. © Christophe Petit Tesson, AP (archives)

Russian attacks on trains aim to isolate parts of Ukraine

The director of the Ukrainian national railway company Oleksandr Pertsovskyi told AFP on Wednesday that the recent intensification of Russian attacks on trains aimed "to cut off certain regions" from the rest of the country.

"The objective is very clear. If you put the recent attacks on the railways on a map, there is an attempt to cut off certain regions of Ukraine and to sow fear in the minds of the populations in order to make them believe that they are no longer connected" to the rest of the country, he declared in an interview with AFP.

Ukraine says talks with Russia, US were 'substantial and productive'

Ukraine assured Wednesday that discussions with the Russian and American delegations in Abu Dhabi had been “substantial and productive”.

“The work has been substantial and productive, focused on concrete measures and practical solutions,” Ukrainian chief negotiator Roustem Umerov said on social media after the end of the first day of negotiations.

The talks are scheduled to continue for a second day on Thursday.

War in Ukraine: towards a diplomatic outcome?

Russia threatened on Wednesday to continue hostilities in Ukraine if kyiv did not accept its conditions, as a new round of negotiations in the presence of the Americans began in Abu Dhabi. Decryption with Christine Dugoin-Clément, geopolitical analyst and Russia specialist.

It is “strategically important for Europe to participate in the negotiations at some point”

The EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, told AFP on Wednesday that it was "strategically important for Europe to participate at some point in the negotiations" underway in Abu Dhabi.

End of first day of talks between Ukrainians, Russians and Americans in Abu Dhabi

The first day of negotiations between Ukrainians, Russians and Americans ended Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, with new discussions planned for the next day, a Ukrainian spokesperson announced.

“The talks ended for today” and will continue on Thursday, said Diana Davitian, spokesperson for the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Roustem Umerov.

EU paves way for more British arms purchases under Ukraine loan

The European Union opened the way on Wednesday to the possibility of acquiring more weapons of British origin for Ukraine, as part of the 90 billion euro loan that 24 EU countries want to make available to kyiv, we learned from diplomatic sources.

The representatives of the 27 agreed on Wednesday that certain third countries, such as Great Britain, could join them in the supply of weapons systems to Ukraine, provided for by this loan, in return for a financial contribution.

Lavrov: “Zelensky does not want peace in Ukraine, because it would mean the end of his career”

kyiv wants to “know what the Russians and Americans really want”

The spokesperson for Ukrainian diplomacy, Georgii Tykhy, indicated that kyiv expected above all from these meetings in the Emirates to "know what the Russians and the Americans really want", specifying that they focused on "military and politico-military questions".

Strikes before negotiations, a “Russian signature”

Russia launched its "most powerful" drone and missile attack on Ukraine since the start of the year overnight from Monday to Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without heating in freezing cold, on the eve of negotiations intended to end nearly four years of war. Decryption with Karim Yahiaoui.

Seven killed in Russian strike on Donetsk Oblast market

Russian bombing hit a market in the town of Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, killing at least seven people and injuring 15 others, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin.

“The Russians bombarded the city with cluster munitions, directly hitting the market where there are always many people in the morning,” Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.

Russia claims to have taken control of two towns in eastern Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had taken control of the towns of Staroukrainka and Stepanivka in eastern Ukraine, the official TASS news agency reported.

With AFP and Reuters

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