A fresh round of US-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia concluded in Geneva without a breakthrough, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the negotiations as difficult and marked by continuing disagreements despite limited progress on military matters. The discussions, which lasted about two hours, highlighted persistent divisions between the two sides, particularly over territory occupied by Russian forces.
Speaking after the meeting, Zelenskyy said some advancement had been made on technical military issues, including discussions on how a potential ceasefire could be monitored. However, he stressed that major political differences remain unresolved, especially regarding regions currently under Russian control. According to him, any ceasefire monitoring mechanism would likely involve participation from the United States.
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of deliberately slowing negotiations while maintaining military pressure on the ground. Zelenskyy alleged that Russia was attempting to prolong talks that could otherwise have reached a final stage, reiterating Kyiv’s position that negotiations cannot proceed meaningfully while attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and frontline operations continue.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, described the discussions as intensive and substantive, noting that both delegations were working toward proposals that could eventually be presented to their respective presidents. Russia’s lead negotiator, presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, similarly characterised the talks as difficult but businesslike and indicated that further rounds were expected, though no timeline was announced. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions from the negotiations.
The central obstacle remains the question of territory. Russia currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas region, and has demanded recognition of these gains as part of any settlement. Ukraine has firmly rejected such conditions, maintaining that it will not concede sovereign territory. Zelenskyy has proposed a ceasefire followed by direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Moscow insists that the framework of a settlement must be agreed upon first.
The talks also unfolded amid renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump, who urged Ukraine to accelerate negotiations. Zelenskyy responded by saying it was unfair for Washington to publicly press Kyiv rather than Moscow and warned that Ukrainian society would reject any peace arrangement requiring the country to relinquish land beyond areas already occupied.
Ukraine has continued to advocate for stronger involvement from European partners in the peace process. During the Geneva meetings, Ukrainian and American representatives also held consultations with officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with Kyiv emphasising that European participation is essential to any lasting settlement.
The negotiations come just days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion launched on February 24, 2022, a conflict that has caused massive casualties, displaced millions of civilians and inflicted widespread destruction across Ukraine. Despite ongoing diplomatic engagement, the latest talks underscore how far both sides remain from a comprehensive political agreement.
