Russia-Ukraine talks: All the mediation efforts, and where they stand | Explainer News
Geneva Peace Talks on Ukraine Conclude Early Amid Ongoing Conflict
GENEVA — One week before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, peace talks organized by the United States concluded ahead of schedule on Wednesday.
The talks, mediated by Steve Witkoff, the special envoy representing former President Donald Trump, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, are part of ongoing efforts to halt the fighting—the deadliest in Europe since World War II. However, progress has remained elusive, and no significant breakthroughs have been achieved.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly asserted he could negotiate a ceasefire within 24 hours, a claim that has yet to materialize.
As the conflict approaches its fifth year and has resulted in over a million deaths, a timeline of mediation efforts illustrates the struggle to find a peaceful resolution.
February 28, 2022 – Initial Talks
The first ceasefire negotiations took place just days after Russia initiated its full-scale invasion. High-ranking officials from both nations met for five hours but ended without agreement. Subsequent rounds of direct talks in Belarus concluded by March 7, 2022, also yielding no outcomes.
March-April 2022 – Antalya Diplomacy Forum
Foreign ministers Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine and Sergey Lavrov of Russia met on March 10, 2022, during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. A later meeting in Istanbul failed to secure a ceasefire. In early April, the discovery of civilian massacres in Bucha and Irpin impeded progress, with negotiating parties expressing conflicting viewpoints on potential resolutions.
July 2022 – Black Sea Grain Initiative
A significant diplomatic advance occurred in July 2022 when Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations agreed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. This accord aimed to alleviate a looming global food crisis by establishing a safe corridor for grain shipments.
November 2022 – Zelenskyy’s Peace Plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace plan at the G20 summit in Indonesia, demanding Russia withdraw from all occupied territories. The proposal was rejected by Russia, which insisted on retaining the territories it had seized.
February 2023 – China’s Proposal
China proposed a 12-point peace initiative that emphasized a ceasefire and advocated for a halt to “unilateral sanctions” by Western nations. This proposal faced criticism from Western allies, who felt it did not adequately address violations of Ukrainian sovereignty.
June 2023 – African Leaders’ Initiative
A delegation of African leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, proposed a 10-point plan focused on de-escalation, but Zelenskyy rejected it, arguing that any ceasefire without prior withdrawal would hinder progress.
August 2023 – Jeddah Summit
Saudi Arabia hosted discussions of Zelenskyy’s “Peace Formula,” involving representatives from 40 countries. However, no formal agreement emerged, and the absence of Russian representation drew criticism from the Kremlin.
June 2024 – Switzerland Peace Summit
A peace summit in Switzerland saw participation from over 90 nations, addressing nuclear safety and food security issues, but Russia was notably absent from discussions.
February 2025 – Trump-Putin Dialogue
Following his second inauguration, Trump reported a productive phone call with Putin aimed at restarting direct negotiations. A subsequent meeting in Saudi Arabia involved key officials from both nations but raised concerns in Kyiv and Brussels due to their exclusion from the discussions.
December 2025 – Recent Developments
In December 2025, Zelenskyy met with US envoys in Berlin to discuss the conflict. Optimistically, US negotiators claimed substantial issues had been resolved, although further dialogues held in Miami later that month failed to yield a formal agreement.
Current Status of Talks
As of February 2026, senior military figures from Ukraine and Russia have participated in ongoing talks in Geneva. However, discussions have largely stalled as Russia continues to demand the retention of territories captured during the conflict.
