Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia concluded the first of two days of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva on Tuesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump pressing Kyiv to act fast to reach a deal to end the four-year conflict.
Ahead of the negotiations in Switzerland, Russia carried out airstrikes overnight across swathes of Ukraine, severely damaging the power network in the southern port city of Odesa. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks left tens of thousands without heat and water.
"We are ready to move quickly toward a worthy agreement to end the war," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address, saying he was waiting for a report from the negotiating team in Geneva. "The question for the Russians is: Just what do they want?"
Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov, the head of the National Security and Defense Council, said in a statement that the day's talks had focused on "practical issues and the mechanics of possible decisions," without providing details. He said negotiations would resume on Wednesday for a final day.
The Geneva meeting follows two rounds of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded without a major breakthrough as the two sides remained far apart on key issues such as the control of territory in eastern Ukraine.
Trump is urging Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement to end Europe's biggest war since 1945, though Zelenskiy has complained that his country is facing more pressure to make concessions.
Before the talks began, Umerov played down hopes for a significant step forward in Geneva, saying the Ukrainian delegation was working "without excessive expectations".
NEGOTIATING TWO CRISES AT ONCE
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were representing the Trump administration at the talks. In a rare attempt to negotiate two major global crises simultaneously, they attended the morning's indirect negotiations with Iranian officials in Geneva before crossing town to mediate the talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump put the ball in Ukraine's court when asked by reporters what he was expecting from Tuesday's talks with Russia.
"Ukraine better come to the table fast. That's all I'm telling you," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture - something Kyiv refuses to do.
Delegations from several European countries were present in Geneva, according to four sources familiar with the matter, but did not attend the trilateral peace talks themselves.
The Europeans were invited after Zelenskyy asked U.S. officials to include them, one of the sources said, adding that they would be briefed by the Americans and Ukrainians about the discussions. Russia has in the past voiced its opposition to European involvement.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday called for Kyiv's allies to increase pressure on Russia to reach a "real and just" peace deal via tougher sanctions and weapons supplies to Ukraine.
The Geneva round comes just days before the fourth anniversary, on February 24, of Russia's full-scale invasion of its much smaller neighbor. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions have fled their homes, and many Ukrainian cities, towns and villages have been devastated by the conflict.
"One shouldn't trust the Russians absolutely, not even a little," said Oksana Reviakina, 41, an internally displaced person from the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, when asked about the talks while sheltering in a Kyiv metro station during an air-raid alert.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine's national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. Its recent airstrikes on energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heating and power during a harsh winter.
EXPECTATIONS LOW FOR SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH
The Kremlin said the Russian delegation was being led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin whom Ukrainian negotiators have previously accused of lecturing them about history as an excuse for Russia's invasion. That has further lowered expectations for any significant breakthrough in Geneva.
Military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov was also expected to take part in the Geneva talks, while Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev was due to join a separate working group on economic issues.
Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he hoped the Geneva talks would prove "serious, substantive... but honestly sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things".
© Thomson Reuters 2026.
36 Comments
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Underworld
Stupid Trump. Ukraine is already at the table, he needs to get Russia to the table.
Underworld
Yup. That would be foolish to cede that land considering Russia is making no gains at the front. In fact, it has been Ukraine making gains in the last week.
Mr Kipling
Seems Zelenskyy is the only one who doesn't know.
Measurably false. If it was true why would Ukraine be pushing so hard for "peace". Russia is slowly and steadily destroying Ukraine's ability to wage war, they are not begging for the war to stop.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Once again Trump cannot identify the aggressor. Absolutely disgusting.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Well we need to get some honesty from the russian. Some commentators would have us believe the war will stop in the Donbas.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Once again russia sends the historian and we are supposed to believe that russia is a serious country.
bass4funk
Seems like Ukraine is slowly realizing that only a deal can be made to get out of this quagmire; they have to make a deal.
Underworld
Mr Kipling
That would be foolish to cede that land considering Russia is making no gains at the front.
I don't think so:
Ukraine recaptured 201 square kilometres of territory from Russia in five days last week – its biggest gain in 2.5 years.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260216-ukraine-makes-fastest-battlefield-gain-in-2-5-years
Faulty logic. There could be many reasons that Ukraine is suing for peace, so how do you determine that this is the reason.
From what I can see, the main reason is to keep Trump on Ukraine's side.
Not sure how you arrive at that conclusion. But the fact is Ukraine isn't waging war, Russia is. Ukraine is defending itself.
They want the war to stop, but only Putin can decide that.
TaiwanIsNotChina
No country is going to deal away their sovereignty. Especially not ones braver than the MAGA which is most of them.
Underworld
bass4funk
This isn't Ukraine's quagmire - it is Russia's quagmire.
Nope. Ukraine don't expect a deal at these talks, far from it. When Russia sends the historian, it means that they aren't serious about peace.
ClippetyClop
Poor Kippers.
Four years into a war that he claimed wasn't a war and the next three trying to cope with Russia not winning the war that isn't.
Exceedingly good cope. Even Trump can't win it for him.
JJE
Not remotely realistic to expect a "breakthrough" until there is an unequivocal tapdance to the tune of Putin's minimalist demands, which have been on the table for years now, and which the Kremlin views as a spanking for threatening their national security in particular, and punitive damages for the orchestrated litany of broken promises in general. Seems Trump gets this simple fact too judging by his most recent comments.
Underworld
JJE
Won't happen.
Far from getting his minimalist demands, Putin is getting deeper and deeper into trouble in this war.
Nobody threatened Russia's national security.
The biggest promise that was broken was the Budapest Memorandum.
Underworld
FizzBit
Correction: Russia started the civil war back in 2014, sending "little green men" into the Donbas. Oh, and Russia also annexed Crimea in 2014. Do you think they were justified?
As did Russia.
ClippetyClop
Imagine being you.
A man who thinks Russia 'needed' to invade and slaughter two million people.
And who doesn't think Russia is in any way to blame.
Imagine a mind so unhinged from reality.
Fos
Accurate information plays a fundamental role
The war was provoked by American neocons who deliberately ignored Putin's red lines about NATO expansion and western meddling in his backyard spelt out consistently since at least 2008. Those are simply historical facts.
Underworld
Fos
And so do you think that Putin is justified in waging a war of aggression on a country simply because they wanted to join a defense alliance?
Doesn't seem reasonable to me.
(Ignoring the fact that this war is one of imperialism.)
ClippetyClop
In your case, it plays none.
Oooh, Neocon bogeymen time again. Name them. And I mean real names, of humans.
Russians worry about bread lines, not red lines.
Putin's Useful Western Appeasniks don't care about either. They just enjoy a nice bit of war. The more the better.
@Fosfacts aren't in any way historical facts.
okinawarides
Stupid Trump. Ukraine is already at the table, he needs to get Russia to the table.
Russia is at the table as well, what are you talking about?
okinawarides
Snapshot of what Russia is currently demanding at the ongoing peace talks (as of February 2026)—
1) Territorial concessions from Ukraine, Russian control over land seized since 2022, particularly in the Donbas region. Ukraine President Zelensky rejects handing over territory, making this a core deadlock.
2) Security guarantees. Ukraine must not join NATO. No deployment of NATO or Western forces on Ukrainian soil.
3) Lifting of western sanctions against Russia.
These are described as key elements of a peace agreement from Russia’s perspective.
Underworld
okinawarides
Stupid Trump. Ukraine is already at the table, he needs to get Russia to the table.
They aren't. They sent the historian to the peace talks, who is talking about history, not negotiating a ceasefire.
okinawarides
TaiwanIsNotChina - Once again russia sends the historian to the peace talks and we are supposed to believe that russia is a serious country." &They sent the historian to the peace talks, who is talking about history, not negotiating a ceasefire.
Right, because nothing says mature diplomacy like demanding negotiators be historically illiterate. Peace talks about borders, treaties, and decades of geopolitical baggage shouldn't involve someone who studies history. Genius.
No country is going to deal away their sovereignty. Especially not ones braver than the MAGA which is most of them.
Armchair experts talk a lot about bravery, but in 4 years none have volunteered to get off their comfy sofas and help UAF on the frontlines or donate all their savings to the war effort.
JJE
Interesting to note head Kremlin negotiator Medinsky - born in the Ukraine - is not just a historian, but a politician and diplomat who holds 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation, which is the highest federal civil service rank in that federation, the equivalent to the military rank of army general/fleet admiral. And he has held this rank since 2020 (before the SMO). Combined with being appointed by the president for his current task, he certainly has the authority.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Accurate information plays a fundamental role: this remains Putin's war. Some of the Putinists here even acknowledge it.
Underworld
okinawarides
"The question for the Russians is: Just what do they want?"
You are mistaken.
Zelenskyy is fine for a ceasefire where current troops are situated.
What he is rejecting is handing over Ukrainian territory that Russia doesn't currently occupy. Territory that would probably take three years to take at the current pace of this war.
Nobody is talking about NATO.
Then how does Ukraine get a guarantee that Russia will not start the war up at any time?
That can only happen much further down the line.
But actually Russia is just lying here. They won't even agree to these terms. Putin doesn't want peace - he wants to keep the war going.
TaiwanIsNotChina
He means they need to send someone other than a historian and we need to hear from Putin himself that the only remaining issue is land.
No country is going to sign over territory legally to a disgusting invader.
Not under Ukraine's control and Europe will never agree to this. So again, a poison pill to just continue the fighting while pretending to be at a peace negotiation.
lincolnman
Trump put "pressure" on the victim of a home invasion, to forgive the criminal and give him your garage and patio...and he'll stop blowing up your furnace and kidnapping your children...
What a "deal", huh?
Underworld
okinawarides
TaiwanIsNotChina - Once again russia sends the historian to the peace talks and we are supposed to believe that russia is a serious country." &They sent the historian to the peace talks, who is talking about history, not negotiating a ceasefire.
You really don't know what is going on. Medinsky (the historian) isn't even negotiating peace. He is just reciting history - as he has been told to do. This is just delaying tactics by Russia because they don't want peace.
Zelenskyy's response was "Enough of this bul*****
TaiwanIsNotChina
You think he gets to press the approve button in the Duma?
JJE
Part of the problem with these negotiations is certain quarters view "peace" as a codeword which actually means the temporary cessation of hostilities favorable to Kyiv, allowing them to escape the wider negative consequences, giving them time to regroup, rearm and recommence hostilities down the track, hopefully with Russia in an unfavorable position and reopening the door to a strategic defeat upon them. Needless to say, Moscow won't subscribe to this.
ClippetyClop
You said it wasn't a land grab. Seems like it suddenly is. Interesting.
No country apart from NATO members can prevent a nation joining NATO. Get used to this, and get used to Ukraine joining NATO at some point thanks to Putin's Special Peaceful Invasion.
I get the feeling you have no idea how NATO works.
Why? They have no effect, right?
HopeSpringsEternal
Ukraine has no 'plan', other than to become an even greater failed state. They've fought bravely and in truth Russia's been very kind as conflicts go, not using many of their best capabilities, like EMP weapons for example.
Time to turn the page, for Zelenskyy to fade away due to ongoing corruption scandal and for reconstruction to begin in spring approaches. EU now at the breaking point, too many Ukrainian migrants, they need to go home
okinawarides
ClippetyClop ,
Russians worry about bread lines, not red lines.
Bread lines, red lines, western appeasniks = cute catchy rhymes, zero evidence. Just the usual feeble minded nonsense.
Putin's Useful Western Appeasniks don't care about either. They just enjoy a nice bit of war. The more the better.
The ones who" enjoy a nice bit of war" are the nafo experts who want Trump peace initiatives to fail and continue to urge for more fighting daily.
Fosfacts are considerably superior to clippetyfacts. Now those are laughable.
Underworld
HopeSpringsEternal
Russia has no 'plan', other than to become an even greater failed state.
You call raping, torturing, kidnapping, and killing civilians nightly: "being kind"?
Cut the BS. If Russia had better capabilities, they would have used them.
HopeSpringsEternal
While Ukraine now having a bit of success in the south, just a "rope a dope" by Russia, as this territory has no fortified strongholds, Ukraine has no supply chains or ability to hold, lacking manpower, much like Kursk, so they'll soon be pushed out soon. It's a clever trap.
Ukraine needs fiduciary leadership, not corrupt leadership, 'addicted' to wartime powers, because the Mayor of Kiev is correct when he stated this weekend, that Ukraine is on the 'brink of collapse'.
ClippetyClop
Oh be quiet Ramsay.
You can't even say 'NATO' without mispresenting it as a fisheries organization.
This is probably why you get banned from here so often. Inherent, incurable dishonesty.