Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva ended abruptly on Wednesday after roughly two hours, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accusing Moscow of deliberately stalling negotiations aimed at ending the four year war.
The US mediated discussions in Switzerland concluded without a breakthrough, minutes after Zelenskiy said the talks had been ‘difficult’ and claimed Russia was attempting to delay progress toward what he described as a potential final stage of negotiations.
“Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage,” Zelenskiy wrote on X, following reports that the first day of meetings had been tense.
Russia’s state news agency RIA later reported that the talks had ended. Moscow’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, told reporters that further negotiations would take place soon, though he did not specify a date.
A Ukrainian official confirmed the talks had lasted around two hours.
The discussions were held amid increasing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who in recent days publicly urged Ukraine to move quickly to secure a peace agreement. Trump told reporters earlier this week that “Ukraine better come to the table fast.”
In an interview with Axios published Tuesday, Zelenskiy said it was “not fair” that Trump had repeatedly called on Ukraine rather than Russia to make concessions.
He also reiterated that any proposal requiring Kyiv to relinquish territory not currently occupied by Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region would be rejected by Ukrainians if put to a referendum.
The Geneva meeting comes days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full scale invasion. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and devastated cities and infrastructure across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister and head of delegation, Rustem Umerov, said earlier that discussions focused on “practical issues and the mechanics of possible decisions,” while cautioning against high expectations.
Russian sources described earlier rounds of discussions as “very tense,” lasting several hours in bilateral and trilateral formats.
The Geneva talks follow two previous rounds of US brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi, which also ended without a significant breakthrough as both sides remained far apart on territorial control and security guarantees.
Russia currently occupies around 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region, while continued airstrikes on energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands without power and heating during the winter.
Goodness Anunobi
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