Russia and Ukraine to hold more talks in Geneva next week | Russia-Ukraine war News
Russian, Ukrainian Envoys Set for New Round of Talks in Geneva Amid Ongoing Conflict
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled to meet in Geneva next week for a new round of U.S.-brokered talks as the war approaches its four-year anniversary without progress on territorial disputes. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Friday that the trilateral discussions are set for February 17-18, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed the forthcoming negotiations. Fighting persists along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line, with Russia continuing its assaults on Ukraine’s power grid, while Ukraine conducts long-range attacks on key war-related targets, including oil refineries. The status of Ukraine’s industrial heartland in the Donbas region remains a significant point of contention.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine relinquish control of a portion of the eastern Donetsk region still held by Ukrainian forces. In contrast, Ukraine seeks stronger Western security guarantees to prevent a renewed Russian offensive if a ceasefire is attained.
Last week, Zelenskyy mentioned that the U.S. has proposed a June deadline for both sides to reach an agreement, although previous ultimatums from U.S. President Donald Trump did not yield significant results.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians have died, marking the conflict as Europe’s deadliest since World War II.
The two preceding rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, led by U.S. envoys, focused on military issues, including potential buffer zones and monitoring ceasefire agreements. For the upcoming discussions, Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister and key figure in past negotiations, will lead the Russian delegation. Ukraine’s team will again feature Rustem Umerov, head of the National Security and Defence Council, alongside Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, and other officials.
As talks approach, Russian forces have intensified airstrikes, including an incident overnight that resulted in the deaths of three brothers aged eight to 19 in eastern Ukraine. In Odesa, one person was killed and six injured following a Russian strike on the city’s port and energy infrastructure. Additionally, the local governor of Volgograd reported that three individuals, including a 12-year-old boy, were injured by debris from a Ukrainian drone attack.
In Belgorod, a missile attack resulted in two fatalities and three injuries, according to the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
On Friday, Zelenskyy participated in the Munich Security Conference in Germany, aiming to secure support from allies before the talks. During the conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated his willingness to engage in discussions with Russian leaders but noted that Russia was not yet prepared for serious peace talks with Ukraine. He emphasized the need for Russia to demonstrate a genuine willingness to negotiate a ceasefire and a subsequent peace plan.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte remarked that Russia is not achieving expected victories in the conflict, characterizing its military efforts as slow and resulting in significant losses.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Munich to discuss peace efforts and China’s potential role in facilitating an end to the conflict. While Beijing maintains a neutral stance, it has faced accusations from Kyiv and its Western allies of providing crucial support to Russia, particularly in the form of military components.
