US special envoy Steve Witkoff said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia had “brought about meaningful progress” as both sides prepared for a second day of talks in Geneva on Wednesday.
Progress and challenges
While Witkoff highlighted the initial positive outcomes, hopes for a breakthrough remain cautious. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios that it was “not fair” that US President Donald Trump repeatedly urged Ukraine to compromise, stressing that “peace wouldn’t be achieved if victory is handed to Russia.”
Trump has recently suggested that Ukraine bears the responsibility for ensuring the success of the Swiss negotiations, without mentioning Russia. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has maintained maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory, including the remainder of the eastern Donbas region, which Ukraine has firmly rejected.
Witkoff posted on X after the first day of talks that “President Trump’s success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress, and we are proud to work under his leadership to stop the killing in this terrible conflict.”
Ukrainian position
Zelensky and Ukrainian negotiators insist that robust security guarantees from the West, including the US, must precede any settlement. Top Ukrainian negotiator Umerov noted that the first day of talks focused on “practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions.”
In a video address, Zelensky said Ukraine was willing to refrain from conducting strikes, as proposed by the US to both Kyiv and Moscow. “We don’t need war,” he said, adding that Ukrainians were “defending our state, our independence.” He stressed readiness to move swiftly toward a “worthy agreement to end the war,” but questioned, “What do the Russians want?”
Negotiation details
Tuesday’s discussions, which lasted six hours, were reportedly tense and conducted in various bilateral and trilateral formats. The talks are the third round of trilateral negotiations, mediated by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Trump’s son-in-law. On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky is the lead negotiator.
The negotiations are occurring just a week before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ongoing hostilities
Despite the talks, hostilities continue. Russia’s defence ministry reported that 43 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian regions and Crimea overnight into Wednesday. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 126 attack drones, with preliminary data suggesting about 100 were intercepted before reaching targets.
Also read: Ukraine funds sperm freezing for soldiers amid demographic crisis
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