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Russia Reiterates Demand for Ukrainian Troop Withdrawal from Donbas Ahead of Talks
russia on Friday, January 23, 2026, renewed its demand for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from eastern Ukraine as a prerequisite for resolving the ongoing conflict. This condition was described as “very crucial” just hours before trilateral talks are scheduled to begin in abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, between Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. representatives.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces must leave Donbas, they must be withdrawn from there.this is a very important condition,” stated Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian presidency.”Without a solution to the territorial issue (…) there is no point in expecting a long-term agreement,” he added. Russia has occupied parts of the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014, but has not been able to fully conquer it.
Peskov declined to comment on the specifics of the proposals to be discussed in the United Arab Emirates, and refrained from disclosing details about the “Anchorage formula” agreed upon at the August 2025 summit in Alaska between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, stating, “We consider it inappropriate.”
High-Level Meetings Precede Abu Dhabi Talks
Russia has consistently called for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas, an industrial and mining region in eastern Ukraine comprising the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, which are currently largely under Russian control. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its initial objectives included the complete takeover of the country.
The Abu Dhabi meeting follows two high-level encounters: a meeting in Davos between ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump, and another in Moscow between Putin and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. it remains unconfirmed whether the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will engage in direct negotiations, a scenario that has not occurred as November, when Trump announced a peace plan aimed at resolving the conflict.
The moast recent round of direct negotiations took place in Istanbul in July 202