Geneva Talks Resume as Russia and Ukraine Mark Four Years of War with Little Sign of Breakthrough

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv convened in Geneva on Tuesday for another round of U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, entering discussions with tempered expectations just one week before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

The two-day talks, hosted in Switzerland, come amid continued fighting along the front lines and escalating aerial attacks, underscoring the difficulty of translating diplomatic efforts into tangible progress on the battlefield. Despite Washington’s stated goal of reaching a settlement by June, officials on both sides appear entrenched on core disputes, particularly over territory and long-term security arrangements.

Rustem Umerov, who heads the Ukrainian delegation, shared images on social media showing representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States seated around a horseshoe-shaped table. Ukrainian and Russian officials faced each other directly, while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, occupied central positions at the head of the table. National flags of the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Switzerland stood behind them.

Umerov described the agenda as focused on security and humanitarian issues and cautioned against inflated expectations. “We will work without excessive expectations,” he said, signaling Kyiv’s awareness of the political and military complexities ahead.

Territorial Fault Lines

At the heart of the negotiations lies the future of roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory that is either occupied by Russian forces or claimed by Moscow. Russia continues to insist that Ukraine relinquish control over the eastern Donbas region, a demand Kyiv has consistently rejected.

According to a person familiar with the discussions, the territorial question is expected to be among the most contentious elements of the talks. The individual, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, said there has been little movement from either side on core demands.

Beyond territorial issues, negotiators are grappling with the shape of postwar security guarantees. Ukraine has pressed for binding assurances backed by the United States to deter future aggression, while Moscow has sought limitations on Ukraine’s military posture and alignment with Western institutions.

Military Channels and Ceasefire Oversight

Alongside diplomatic representatives, senior military officials from the United States, Russia and Ukraine are also in Geneva to discuss technical aspects of a potential ceasefire. Topics include the structure of monitoring mechanisms, communication channels between opposing forces and the logistical requirements necessary to implement and sustain any agreement.

Previous rounds of negotiations, including talks held in Abu Dhabi, explored the possibility of establishing a demilitarized zone and creating frameworks for direct military-to-military communication designed to reduce the risk of escalation.

The Kremlin has offered limited detail about earlier meetings. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned against expecting immediate developments on the first day of talks, noting that discussions would continue into Wednesday.

War of Attrition Continues

The diplomacy unfolds against the backdrop of a grinding conflict stretching across approximately 1,250 kilometers (750 miles) of front line. Ukraine’s smaller military remains locked in a war of attrition against larger Russian forces, while civilians continue to endure frequent missile and drone attacks targeting infrastructure and residential areas.

Overnight, Russia launched nearly 400 long-range drones and 29 missiles at 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 strikes damaged critical infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said the attacks undermine diplomatic efforts and called for accountability. He emphasized that Kyiv has agreed to what he described as realistic U.S. proposals, including an unconditional and long-term ceasefire, and argued that continued Russian assaults complicate efforts to build trust.

“The more this evil comes from Russia, the harder it will be for everyone to reach any agreements with them,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, urging international partners, particularly the United States, to take note.

Delegation Dynamics

The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin who also headed Moscow’s negotiating team during the first direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022. Medinsky has been a vocal proponent of the Kremlin’s war aims and has authored works portraying Ukraine’s trajectory as shaped by Western interference.

On the U.S. side, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, and Secretary of the U.S. Army Dan Driscoll are participating in meetings with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. command. Their involvement underscores Washington’s effort to integrate military planning with diplomatic initiatives.

President Trump characterized the Geneva discussions as “big talks” and urged Ukraine to engage swiftly. His remarks, made while returning to Washington from Florida, did not elaborate on specific concerns but highlighted the political weight attached to the negotiations in Washington.

Cross-Border Strikes

Even as delegates met in Geneva, hostilities extended deep into Russian territory. A Ukrainian security official said long-range drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service struck the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region for the second time this month, igniting a fire. The facility is one of the largest oil export terminals on the Black Sea.

Drones also targeted the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Russia’s Perm region, more than 1,600 kilometers from Ukraine’s border. The facility manufactures chemical components used in explosives and other military-related materials, the official said.

The continued exchange of long-range strikes illustrates the widening geographic scope of the conflict and the difficulty of establishing a pause in hostilities even as diplomatic channels remain open.

As negotiators deliberate in Geneva, the war’s fourth year looms, with both sides entrenched militarily and politically. While the presence of senior U.S., Russian and Ukrainian officials signals sustained engagement, the absence of visible concessions suggests that any path toward a comprehensive settlement remains fraught with obstacles.