By Anietie anii-bassey
Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv gathered in Geneva on Tuesday for another round of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations, meeting just days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the high-profile setting and mounting international pressure to find a path toward ending Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, expectations for a breakthrough remain muted.
The talks, scheduled to continue for two days in Switzerland, come as the United States pushes for a settlement by June. Yet neither side appears ready to shift its stance on the most contentious issues, particularly the status of Russian-occupied territories and the security framework that would shape Ukraine’s future.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who leads Kyiv’s delegation, shared images from the opening session showing Russian and Ukrainian officials seated across from one another at a horseshoe-shaped table. At the head sat U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, with the flags of the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Switzerland displayed prominently behind them.
“The agenda includes security and humanitarian issues,” Umerov said, adding that Ukraine would approach the discussions “without excessive expectations.”
The question of territory looms largest over the negotiations. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine formally cede control of the eastern Donbas region, a position Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. Nearly 20% of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory remains under Russian occupation or control, including areas seized since 2014 and during the 2022 invasion.
In addition to the diplomatic delegations, senior military officials from the United States, Russia and Ukraine are also in Geneva to examine how a potential ceasefire might be monitored and enforced. Discussions are expected to include the structure of a demilitarized zone and mechanisms for communication between opposing forces to prevent renewed hostilities.
Previous rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi explored similar military-to-military arrangements, including the logistics of separating forces and establishing lines of coordination. However, progress has been incremental, and both sides have publicly maintained their core war aims.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned against expecting immediate results from the Geneva discussions, noting that negotiations of such complexity require time and discretion. Moscow has released few details about prior sessions, fueling skepticism among observers about how much common ground exists.
President Trump described the Geneva meeting as “big talks,” urging Ukraine to move quickly. Speaking to reporters while returning to Washington from Florida late Monday, he said, “Ukraine better come to the table fast,” though Kyiv has consistently participated in negotiations and has voiced support for U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.
On the battlefield, the war shows little sign of slowing. Ukraine’s forces, stretched along a roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line, remain locked in a grinding war of attrition against Russia’s larger military. Civilian areas across Ukraine continue to face sustained aerial assaults.
Overnight before the Geneva meeting, Russia launched nearly 400 long-range drones and 29 missiles targeting 12 Ukrainian regions, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Nine people, including children, were reported injured. In the southern port city of Odesa, tens of thousands of residents were left without heating and running water after infrastructure was damaged.
Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, arguing that such attacks undermine diplomatic efforts and should carry consequences. “The more this evil comes from Russia, the harder it will be for everyone to reach any agreements with them,” he said in a social media post, urging partners—particularly the United States—to recognize the impact of continued bombardment on negotiations.
He added that Ukraine has agreed to what he described as “all realistic proposals” from Washington, including the idea of an unconditional and long-term ceasefire as a starting point for broader peace talks.
The Russian delegation in Geneva is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin who previously led Moscow’s negotiators during early direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022. Medinsky has been a vocal proponent of the Kremlin’s war objectives and has authored books asserting that Western powers have sought to weaken Russia through Ukraine.
Representing the U.S. military are Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of American and NATO forces in Europe, and Secretary of the U.S. Army Dan Driscoll. They are expected to confer with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts on the technical dimensions of ceasefire monitoring and post-agreement security arrangements.
While diplomacy unfolds in Switzerland, hostilities continue deep inside both countries. Ukrainian security officials said long-range drones struck the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region for the second time this month, igniting a fire at one of the Black Sea’s largest oil export facilities.
Drones also reportedly targeted the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Russia’s Perm region, more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from the Ukrainian border, a facility that produces components used in explosives and other military materials.
The Geneva talks are taking place amid a broader flurry of diplomatic activity in Switzerland, where U.S. officials are also engaged in indirect discussions with Iran, underscoring the country’s renewed role as a venue for high-stakes negotiations.
As the war approaches its fourth year, the gap between Kyiv and Moscow remains wide. Ukraine insists on the restoration of its territorial integrity and binding security guarantees to prevent future aggression.
Russia continues to press for recognition of its territorial gains and security arrangements that would limit Ukraine’s military alignment with the West.
For now, the meeting in Geneva represents another attempt to test whether diplomacy can gain traction even as missiles and drones continue to shape the realities on the ground.
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