The latest round of trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the USA, and the Russian Federation has concluded in Geneva. According to Diana Davityan, head of the Secretary’s Office of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the meetings lasted approximately two hours and covered the work of two subgroups — military and political. Details of the discussions and outcomes are currently not being disclosed.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Main Topics and Participants of the Negotiations
The third round of trilateral consultations, which took place on February 17-18, focused on two key issues: territorial claims and security guarantees. These aspects are seen as the biggest obstacles to ending the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. The negotiations occurred just before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has resulted in the deaths or injuries of around two million people on both sides of the conflict.
Head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov noted that discussions are being held within separate groups focusing on political and military directions, and work is ongoing to clarify the details of decisions that were previously considered.
“Consultations are taking place in groups by direction within the political and military blocks. We are working on clarifying the parameters and mechanics of the decisions discussed yesterday. We are focused on substantive work. We will provide additional information on the outcomes.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that this time the participants discussed a broader range of issues than in previous meetings. American special envoy Steve Vitkoff stated after the first day that there had been “significant progress” in the dialogue between the parties; however, details or specific agreements resulting from the consultations were not disclosed.
Context and Progress of the Negotiations
According to sources in Washington, advisors from the national security teams of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy were monitoring the negotiations on February 17. Separately, a meeting took place between the Ukrainian delegation and representatives from the USA and European partners, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.
Russian media, citing sources in the Russian delegation, reported that the negotiations lasted six hours and were characterized as “very tense.” Axios noted that the political group encountered a deadlock due to the position of the new head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, while the military subgroup continued to make progress.
The negotiations took place against the backdrop of a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine the day before, during which 29 missiles and 396 strike drones were used.
Prior to this, preliminary meetings involving Ukraine, Russia, and the USA regarding ways to end the war were held in Abu Dhabi in January and February. No significant breakthroughs were achieved at that time; however, on February 5, the parties agreed on a prisoner exchange — the first in the last five months. American special envoy Steve Vitkoff described the preliminary discussions as “constructive and focused on creating conditions for lasting peace.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted a reduction in the list of complex issues, but the main unresolved issue remains the territorial problem.