Global & US Headlines
Russia Ends Trump-Brokered ‘Energy Ceasefire,’ Launches Massive Kyiv Barrage as Abu Dhabi Talks Begin
On 3 Feb 2026, only four days into a U.S-announced one-week pause, Moscow resumed large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s power grid, crippling heating in sub-zero weather while negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. convened in Abu Dhabi.
Focusing Facts
- Ukrainian intel says 71 missiles and 450 Shahed-type drones were launched overnight 3 Feb, a $324.8 million strike with almost 80 % intercepted.
- Kyiv authorities reported 1,170 residential buildings without heat after the attack, as temperatures hit –17 °C in the capital and –23 °C in Kharkiv.
- Trilateral peace talks, including U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, opened 4 Feb in Abu Dhabi; delegates labelled the first session “productive” despite no ceasefire in place.
Context
Kremlin “pauses” followed by sudden escalations echo the 1999 Chechen conflict’s so-called Ramadan ceasefire that preceded Grozny’s bombardment, and even the 1914 Christmas Truce that lulled forces before renewed offensives. In modern hybrid wars, temporary humanitarian halts often serve logistical, political or propaganda ends rather than signaling genuine de-escalation—a pattern also seen in Syria (2016) and Gaza (2023). This episode underscores two structural trends: Russia’s winter energy-denial strategy aimed at civilian morale, and Washington’s increasing role as mediator despite limited leverage over battlefield realities. Whether the Abu Dhabi channel matures into a durable negotiating architecture or merely institutionalizes cycles of “ceasefire-reload-strike” will shape Eastern Europe’s security environment for decades; a century from now historians may view these 2026 talks either as the foundation of a post-war order—or as another missed chance akin to the failed 1919-1920 attempts to stabilize Europe after World War I.
Perspectives
Ukrainian national outlets
e.g., Українська правда, Euromaidan Press — They argue the so-called “energy ceasefire” was a ruse that let Moscow stockpile missiles, proving Russia is not negotiating in good faith and that Kyiv must remain on guard. Reporting is saturated with wartime patriotism and appeals for Western aid, so it highlights every Russian violation while downplaying any diplomatic openings that might reduce international support for Ukraine’s military needs.
Pro-Trump conservative US media
e.g., Washington Times — Coverage credits Donald Trump’s personal outreach for securing a week-long pause in Russian strikes and frames the Abu Dhabi talks as evidence his diplomacy is nudging the war toward resolution. The narrative spotlights Trump’s statesmanship and minimizes Ukrainian claims the truce was almost immediately broken, reflecting a political incentive to cast the former president’s foreign-policy efforts in the best possible light.
International wire-service driven outlets
e.g., France 24, TheJournal.ie, The Times of Israel — They report that after a brief pause publicized by Trump, Russia swiftly resumed large-scale strikes on Kyiv’s energy grid during a deep freeze, leaving thousands without heat and undercutting optimism around peace talks. Reliance on AFP/Reuters copy steers coverage toward dramatic casualty and infrastructure details, which can amplify a crisis narrative but offers limited deeper context on either side’s strategic calculations.