While diplomats sipped coffee in Abu Dhabi, residents of Kyiv were pulling bodies from the rubble. On the second day of trilateral peace talks, Russia launched a massive missile barrage, killing at least one and injuring 23.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha did not hold back, branding the attack a "barbaric" message from Vladimir Putin. "This proves that Putin’s place is not at the table of peace, but in the dock of a tribunal," he wrote. The strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv, plunging millions into freezing darkness just as their representatives were being asked to cede land for peace.

Terror as a Negotiating Tactic

The timing was unmistakable. By launching 375 drones and 21 missiles while talks were ongoing, Moscow was signaling that it negotiates from a position of strength. President Zelenskyy, furious, called on the US to ensure that air defense agreements made with President Trump in Davos are "fully implemented."

• The Toll: 23 injured, 1 dead. Power grids shattered.
• The Message: Diplomacy is a sideshow; the war is the main event.

The End of Optimism

The attack has effectively poisoned the atmosphere in Abu Dhabi. How can Ukraine agree to a ceasefire with a gun to its head? The "peace efforts" now look less like a negotiation and more like a hostage situation. As the sun sets on the second day of talks, the only thing clear is that the road to peace is paved with fresh craters.