Ukraine frontline mapped: The land in dispute as peace talks end without breakthrough

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As mediators return for peace talks to end the war, a fifth of Ukraine’s territory in the east comes back into focus, writes James C. Reynolds

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Negotiators for Russia and Ukraine emerged from a second day of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday confident about progress towards a long-awaited peace deal, despite lingering differences over territory.

Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that mutual understanding had been achieved on some issues and that more talks would be held, adding that the two sides had agreed on a large-scale prisoner swap.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said that there was “good momentum” towards reaching a solution by the end of this year, but that Europe should also be represented in future discussions.

This week’s talks in the United Arab Emirates marked a restart for diplomacy some nine months after delegations last met in Geneva to discuss peace terms.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky voiced concerns in February that Kyiv was being asked “too often” to make concessions as Moscow stuck to its maximalist demands for land in Ukraine’s mineral-rich east.

The last year has seen Ukraine test Russia’s resilience with expanded strikes on major businesses and energy infrastructure across the border, piling pressure onto the Kremlin to end what has become a costly and gruelling attritional conflict.

But Moscow has benefited from concessions from an increasingly favourable United States, which temporarily waived sanctions in October and cut a deal to facilitate the export of Russian diesel.

US president Donald Trump had tried to orchestrate an ‘energy ceasefire’ between the two sides to rein in attacks on oil refineries and keep down global prices lifted by his own war with Iran.

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