The talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva ended without a breakthrough, the parties failed to reach decisions on key political issues and agreed to continue the dialogue. As reported by Reuters, the two-day peace consultations took place against the backdrop of a difficult situation on the front and international pressure to conclude a potential agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a restrained assessment of the results of the meeting in an evening address.
“At the moment, the result cannot be considered sufficient”, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
According to him, the military block of issues was discussed substantively, but sensitive political topics, possible compromises and the prospect of a meeting of leaders between the two states remain open. At the same time, as the head of state noted, the positions of the parties have somewhat converged on the mechanism for monitoring a possible ceasefire, and a new round of negotiations may take place this month with the participation of European representatives.
The White House, on the other hand, announced “significant progress” and confirmed its intention to continue working on a peace agreement. Washington also emphasized that almost four years of war are unfair not only for Ukrainians and Russians who lost their lives, but also for American taxpayers who financially support Ukraine.
The Kremlin acknowledged the complexity of the negotiations and announced that the delegation would report to President Vladimir Putin on their results. Chief Russian negotiator Volodymyr Medinsky described the meeting as “difficult but businesslike” and after the official part, held an additional conversation with the Ukrainian side.
During the consultations, the parties focused on the issue of territories in eastern Ukraine and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Moscow insists on transferring part of the Donetsk region under its control, which Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. The Ukrainian side, in turn, proposes a model of joint management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with the participation of the United States, which Russia considers unacceptable.
Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that he considers the US’s public demands for concessions from Ukraine, not from Russia, to be unfair. The President stressed that any initiative to transfer territories not under the control of Russian troops, if put to a referendum, would be rejected. Ukraine insists on providing reliable security guarantees from the United States, which should make new aggression impossible after the potential conclusion of a peace agreement.
