(The Lion)–Peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine are set to take place this week in Abu Dhabi, despite protests as Russia continues to attack civilians in Ukraine.

The choice of Abu Dhabi – a strong security partner of the U.S. – reflects Washington’s strategy of using a friendly but non-European forum where Russian negotiators appear willing to sit down with U.S. mediators without the overt political pressure of NATO capitals.

The Kremlin confirmed the talks after a brief delay, with delegations from Moscow and Kyiv expected to meet alongside U.S. representatives, according to the Associated Press (AP).

“They were indeed originally planned for this past Sunday. But additional coordination of the schedules of the three parties was needed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the meeting in an upbeat social media post.

“Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,” Zelenskyy said.

The discussions are part of ongoing efforts to find a diplomatic end to the conflict beginning with Russia’s 2022 invasion – efforts that have failed so far to bridge core differences over territorial control and security guarantees.

The Kremlin said there were unresolved questions about Russian-held territory and other political issues.

Russian officials have made frequent statements demonstrating the Kremlin’s maximum demand that Ukraine cede all or parts of four regions during negotiations: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, noted the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Despite diplomatic breakthrough towards peace, battlefield violence has continued.

A Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region killed at least 12 coal miners and injured more than a dozen as they returned from work, according to Ukrainian authorities and multiple reports.

The attack struck a civilian bus and damaged energy infrastructure amid a broader push by Russian forces to target Ukraine’s power grid and logistics networks, the Washington Post said.

The strike came shortly after a limited pause in Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, which U.S. President Donald Trump had requested.

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this … extraordinary cold,” Trump said during a widely reported cabinet meeting at the White House, adding that Putin has “agreed to that.”

The ceasefire was narrowly framed as it applied mainly to Kyiv and did little to halt broader hostilities.

Ukrainian leaders condemned the miners’ deaths as a blatant escalation and reiterated diplomatic efforts cannot succeed if Russia continues heavy bombardment of civilian targets.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said recent measures to block unauthorized Russian use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services – which Kyiv said Russia had been using to coordinate drones – have yielded “real results,” reported the Kyiv Post.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the restrictions appear to have worked and offered continued cooperation with Ukraine.

Russian officials have been pushing back on Western claims of bad faith even as they participate in talks.

Russian leaders have claimed victory is within sight.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, asserted Moscow expects military success in the conflict “soon” and has criticized Western warnings about broader escalation.

“I would like this to happen as soon as possible,” he told the state news service TASS about Russia’s final victory.

“But it is equally important to think about what will happen next,” he added. “After all, the goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts. This is absolutely obvious.”

ISW noted Russia has accelerated a military buildup along the Finnish border.

While Medvedev also praised renewed contact with U.S. negotiators under Trump, he has insisted Russia “does not want a global conflict” while affirming its objectives in Ukraine, which are frankly territorial.

Both Kyiv and Washington are pushing for substantive progress in negotiations this time, but critics caution Moscow may not be sincerely interested in peace.

“So far, […] I see no signs that Russia seriously wants peace,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told DW.com.