A Ukrainian firefighter battles a blaze after Russian strikes, January 24, 2026

EA-CAI VideoCast: Watching Russia Fail in Ukraine

Thursday’s Coverage: Trump Envoy’s “Shocking” Lack of Knowledge

UPDATE 1011 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that the second round of Ukraine-Russia-US talks may be postponed.

The discussions are scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, but Zelensky said on Friday, “I don’t know when the next meeting will be.” He said the date and location may change due to the “situation with the US and Iran”.

The Trump Administration has amassed an “armada” off the coast of Iran and is threatening to attack. Donald Trump’s envoy in the trilateral talks, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, is also the envoy for the Middle East and Iran.

Zelensky noted that the Kremlin is no longer interested in exchanges of prisoners of war: “They do not feel that it gives them anything. They believe that it gives us something. But I think they should also think about their people, their military.

The last POW exchange was on October 2, with a swap of 185 soldiers each and 20 Ukrainian civilians released.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv has brought back more than 7,000 Ukrainians More than 2,500 Ukrainian POWs remained in Russian captivity as of September 5.

The President pushed back against the Kremlin’s declaration that his meeting with Vladimir Putin, which Zelensky has suggested to end Russia’s invasion, could only be in Moscow.

He said, “I can just as well invite him to Kyiv, let him come. I’m openly inviting him, if he dares.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine is awaiting confirmation that Russia agrees to a temporary ceasefire of attacks against energy infrastructure.

Reports circulated on Thursday that the Kremlin accepted the ceasefire, first proposed by Kyiv and Washington last week before the first round of Ukraine-Russia-US talks in Abu Dhabi.

A second round of discussions is set for Sunday in the UAE.

Claims spread on Thursday morning that the temporary ceasefire had been established, but without any confirmation of its duration. In the afternoon, a Ukrainian member of Parliament confirmed the news to an EA correspondent.

Trump then declared, during a photo opportunity at his Cabinet meeting, “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week and he agreed to do that. I have to tell you it was very nice.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky noted Trump had made an “important statement…about the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period”. He expressed gratitude to Trump and said, “We hope the United States can make this happen.”

In his nightly address to the nation, the President thanked all those carrying out emergency efforts to restore power and heating after intense waves of Russian missile and drone strikes this month, and he said of the forthcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi:

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed “efforts in favor of a truce” but emphasized that “the systematic and brutal destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure by Russian attacks” was “still ongoing”.

The Kremlin refused to comment on the reports. Instead, Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov poured cold water on any advance in the trilateral talks.

Ushakov rejected statements by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the only significant issue to be resolved is control over territory in eastern Ukraine.

“The territorial issue is the most important issue but many other issues remain on the agenda,” Ushakov said. Asked about security guarantees for Ukraine, he snapped, “No one agreed on this.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Turkish media that Western security guarantees are an attempt to protect the “illegitimate” Ukrainian government.

Russia’s Latest Murders of Civilians

Meanwhile, Russia murdered six civilians in central and southern Ukraine.

In the Zaporizhzhia region in the south, a 62-year-old man and women aged 26 and 50 were slain by shelling which set a large blaze in an apartment building.

In the neighboring Kherson region, a 46-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were killed.

In the city of Kryvyi Rih in south-central Ukraine, an elderly woman was murdered.

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine is working with Elon Musk to stop Russia from guiding drones using SpaceX’s Starlink internet system.

Ukrainian officials said they have found Starlinks on long-range drones used in the Russian attacks.

“We are grateful to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and personally to Elon Musk for the quick response and the start of work on resolving the situation,” Fedorov posted.