Progress Report on Ukraine-Russia Negotiations
US special envoy Steve Witkoff stated that the ongoing talks between Ukraine and Russia have "brought about meaningful progress" toward ending the war, as both parties prepared for a second day of negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday.
"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," Witkoff wrote on X.
Despite this, expectations for a major breakthrough remain low, as the Kremlin continues to hold firm on its maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory.
Positions of Key Leaders
US President Donald Trump recently indicated that the responsibility for ensuring the success of the talks in Switzerland lies with Ukraine, without mentioning Russia directly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.
Currently, Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, including significant portions of the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin demands that Ukraine cede the remainder of the Donbas, a condition Ukraine has firmly rejected.
Ukraine insists that strong security guarantees from Western countries, including the United States, must precede any settlement with Russia.
In an interview with Axios on Tuesday, Zelensky said it was "not fair" that Trump kept urging Ukraine to broker a deal, adding that lasting peace would not be achieved if "victory" was simply handed to Russia.
"I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision," Zelensky added.
Negotiation Details and Statements
On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov posted on social media that the first day of talks concentrated on "practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions."
Shortly thereafter, Zelensky addressed the public via video, stating that Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes, in line with a US proposal extended to both Kyiv and Moscow.
"We don't need war," he said, emphasizing that Ukrainians were "defending our state, our independence."
"We are also ready to quickly move towards a worthy agreement to end the war. The question is only for the Russians: What do they want?"
This round of talks marks the third trilateral negotiation session.
According to Russia's state news agency RIA, a source reported that Tuesday's six-hour negotiations were tense and conducted in various bilateral and trilateral formats.
The discussions are being mediated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law.
On the Russian side, Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, serves as the chief negotiator.
The talks are taking place one week before the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Recent Military Activity
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that 43 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight into Wednesday across several Russian regions and Crimea.
The previous night, Russia launched a large-scale combined aerial assault on Ukraine, targeting 12 regions with 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles. Ukrainian officials confirmed that at least three people were killed during the attacks.
