Ukraine-Russia peace talks enter second day with territory and security guarantees in focus

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed what he described as a change in the approach of US mediators as peace talks with Russia enter their second day in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, although no breakthrough has been announced."I see changes. I'm very happy with what I hear," Zelenskyy told reporters in Copenhagen on Tuesday, describing the discussions as "constructive and quite substantive".US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also described the negotiations as "very productive", while US envoy Jared Kushner said Washington had narrowed the gaps between the two sides, without providing further details.Yet the positive assessments have done little to obscure the deep divisions between Kyiv and Moscow, particularly over territory and the terms of a ceasefire.Wednesday's discussions are expected to focus on de-escalation measures, including energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, as well as the possibility of a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level.Territorial disagreements remainTerritory remains one of the main sticking points, with Moscow demanding that Ukraine withdraw its forces from eastern regions, including areas still under Kyiv's control.Zelenskyy said Russian negotiators falsely claimed that Moscow's forces had captured half of the territory in Donbas still under Ukrainian control.Kyiv's delegation challenged the claims with video evidence, while NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, who was also present in Abu Dhabi, confirmed that Ukrainian battlefield maps were closer to…