The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, announced the approval of the composition of the Ukrainian negotiating team that will participate in the trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and the Russian Federation in Geneva. The delegation includes key representatives of the country’s political and military leadership.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Who is in the Ukrainian Delegation
The negotiating group includes the head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Hnatov, the head of the parliamentary faction “Servant of the People,” Davyd Arakhamia, the First Deputy Head of the President’s Office, Serhiy Kyslytsia, and the Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Vadym Skibitsky. Rustem Umerov himself is also a member of the delegation.
“On February 17-18, the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia is set to take place in Geneva. The Ukrainian delegation has already begun preparations for this meeting. The President of Ukraine has defined the preliminary composition of the negotiating group. Along with me, the delegation will include: Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Hnatov, Davyd Arakhamia, Serhiy Kyslytsia, and Vadym Skibitsky,” Umerov wrote in a Telegram message.
Context and Goals of the Upcoming Negotiations
According to Rustem Umerov, the team was formed taking into account military, political, and security aspects of the negotiation process. The main goal is to achieve a sustainable and lasting peace. It is expected that during the meeting, the parties will focus on developing specific solutions within the framework defined by the President of Ukraine.
Previous rounds of negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US took place in January and February of this year in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Although no significant breakthrough was achieved regarding the cessation of the war, on February 5, the parties agreed on the first exchange of prisoners of war in the last five months.
US Special Envoy Steve Vitkoff described the negotiations that took place on February 4 and 5 as constructive and focused on creating conditions for a lasting peace. The discussions addressed the issue of a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that during the negotiations, the list of outstanding issues between Ukraine and Russia regarding the peace agreement was reduced, but the most complex issues, including territorial ones, remain unresolved.