Representatives from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday for a new round of U.S.-mediated peace negotiations, with territorial control expected to dominate discussions.
The talks come as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push both sides to reach an agreement to end Europe’s largest conflict since 1945. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued that Kyiv is being placed under disproportionate pressure to concede ground.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump signaled urgency ahead of the negotiations.
“Well, we have big talks. It’s going to be very easy. I mean, look, so far, Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you,” he said.
At the heart of the impasse is Russia’s demand that Ukraine surrender the remaining 20% of the Donetsk region that Moscow has not yet seized, a proposal Kyiv firmly rejects.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the upcoming discussions would expand beyond previous rounds.
“This time, the idea is to discuss a broader range of issues, including, in fact, the main ones. The main issues concern both the territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward,” he told reporters.
The latest round has shifted to the Swiss city of Geneva after earlier negotiations in Abu Dhabi were described as constructive but failed to produce a breakthrough.
The Geneva meeting takes place just days before February 24, marking four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and left widespread destruction across Ukrainian cities and towns.
Russia currently controls roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and large portions of the eastern Donbas region taken before and after the 2022 invasion. Continued air and drone strikes, particularly targeting energy infrastructure, have left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without electricity and heating during winter.
Russia’s delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin. Military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov is also expected to participate, alongside Kirill Dmitriev, who will focus on economic matters in a separate working group.
On Ukraine’s side, the delegation will be headed by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, together with presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov and senior aide Serhiy Kyslytsya.
Addressing the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Zelenskyy expressed cautious hope about the negotiations.
“serious, substantive… but honestly sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things”.
Before departing for Geneva, Umerov reiterated that Ukraine remains committed to securing “a sustainable and lasting peace”.
Beyond territorial control, the two countries remain divided over critical issues such as the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and whether Western forces could play a role in postwar Ukraine.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to represent Washington at the negotiations, according to reports, as diplomatic efforts intensify amid ongoing hostilities.
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