Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the trilateral talks between the delegations of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia in Geneva on February 17–18 were “challenging.” According to him, progress has been made on the military track, while there have been no significant shifts on the political track so far.
The president spoke to journalists after a report from the Ukrainian negotiation team. Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and head of the Ukrainian delegation, also addressed the press.
Details
Zelenskyy clarified that the Geneva talks lasted two days and covered both security and political issues. He said the Ukrainian delegation had already reported on the initial outcomes. And the parties showed constructiveness on the military track:
“All three sides were constructive on the military track, in my view, based on the briefing I just received. More details will come when my group returns. But for now, what I heard is that, in principle, the military understands how to monitor a ceasefire and the end of the war if there is political will.”
Zelenskyy emphasized that the monitoring will definitely involve the U.S. side. Meanwhile, the political block of the talks was more complex:
“These are all sensitive issues, as you know: the east, the station (Zaporizhzhia NPP), and so on. A more detailed report will follow when my group returns. We see that some work has been done. For now, positions differ because the negotiations were challenging. My subgroup will show me all these nuances. So on the military track, I heard progress; on the political track, there was dialogue, agreement to continue, and agreement to proceed. But I did not hear the same level of progress as on the military track.”
Umerov stated that the parties clarified some issues and are working to coordinate decisions to present to the presidents:
“We are focused on developing key provisions necessary to finalize the process. This is complex work that requires agreement from all sides and time. Progress is being made, but without details for now.”
At the same time, according to AFP citing a source close to the Russian delegation, the first round of talks on February 17 was “very tense” and lasted six hours. The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, who said after the talks that they were “difficult but businesslike.”
Context
This was the third round of trilateral talks in the past month. The previous meetings took place on January 23–24 and February 4–5 in Abu Dhabi. During those talks, the parties did not achieve a breakthrough on ending the war. However, they did agree on a prisoner exchange.
Current consultations focus on territorial issues and security guarantees. The talks take place amid large-scale Russian attacks and ahead of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that achieving a breakthrough on territorial issues requires a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin. He instructed the Ukrainian delegation at the trilateral talks in Geneva to raise this matter.
Previously, The Ukrainian Review reported that President Zelenskyy stated Ukraine would rather continue the war than agree to an unfavorable peace deal.
