On February 1, peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are scheduled in Abu Dhabi without US mediation. The region is experiencing heightened tensions, especially in the Persian Gulf and around Iran. The Iranian National Security Secretary urgently traveled to Moscow against the backdrop of speculated potential US strikes on Iran.
Donald Trump stated that Ukraine and Russia have good chances for a deal without US mediators. He highlighted the significant losses suffered by both sides in the war and expressed optimism about a ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, US and Iranian representatives, as well as Kirill Dmitriev, are meeting in Miami and may proceed to Abu Dhabi for further negotiations. Russian officials, notably State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, have made strong retaliatory threats and continue their confrontational rhetoric toward Ukraine and the West.
Ukraine faces ongoing energy difficulties: President Zelensky has instructed the government to recalculate heating charges for residents of buildings without heating during recent outages. On the night of January 31, Ukraine experienced another massive drone attack attributed to Russia.
The European Union is preparing its 20th sanctions package against Russia, which may ban the maritime transport of Russian oil. In response, the Kremlin is vocally threatening countermeasures and plans to protect its shadow tanker fleet.
In the US, government shutdown issues and the release of new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case have added to the media noise surrounding Donald Trump, without resulting in direct legal action against him.