US, Ukraine to meet in Geneva as Russia attacks Kyiv with missiles, drones | Russia-Ukraine war News
Kyiv Seeks High-Level Talks Amid Renewed Attacks
Kyiv – As missile and drone strikes from Russia intensified overnight, Ukrainian officials reported at least eight injuries across the country. The assaults come ahead of a critical meeting in Geneva aimed at facilitating negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that early Wednesday attacks caused significant damage to a nine-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district. Fires were also reported at several locations, including a home and nearby garages. Despite the damage, no casualties were recorded in the capital.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, indicated that air defense systems were activated to intercept the attacks, urging residents to remain in shelters until the situation was stabilized.
In recent months, Ukraine has experienced routine overnight assaults as Russia targets urban areas with missiles and drones, even as winter conditions exacerbate the violence. Civilian energy infrastructure has frequently been a target, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Washington to resolve the conflict, which has persisted for nearly five years.
Additional attacks were reported in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk, with local officials stating that seven people sustained injuries in Kharkiv and another individual was wounded in Kryvyi Rih.
Geneva Meetings Scheduled
The recent strikes coincided with a scheduled meeting in Geneva between Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. This meeting precedes a larger session involving representatives from Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, anticipated to take place in early March.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump before the Geneva discussions, where they outlined topics for negotiation and prepared for the trilateral meeting planned for next month. Zelenskyy reiterated his desire for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address key issues directly.
“President Trump supports this sequence of steps,” Zelenskyy noted, expressing his belief that direct talks are crucial for resolving the ongoing conflict.
Putin has previously dismissed proposals for such a meeting and has questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader.
In a separate development, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s envoy for economic affairs, is also scheduled to attend the Geneva talks, focusing on negotiations with U.S. representatives regarding economic issues.
Ongoing Negotiation Challenges
Despite Trump’s stated goal of resolving the conflict swiftly, negotiations have been stalled. A U.S. proposal introduced late last year has encountered significant obstacles, particularly concerning territorial disputes in the eastern Donbas region, which has been a focal point for fighting.
Russia seeks full control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and has threatened to exert force if its demands are not met at the negotiating table. However, Ukraine has firmly rejected these demands, insisting on security guarantees to prevent further aggression, as mandated by its constitution, which prohibits the ceding of territory.
The war has led to significant casualties, with estimates suggesting that hundreds of thousands have lost their lives on both sides.
