Did Ukraine and Russia reach agreement in Geneva? Exclusive details of meeting
Photo: Ukrainian delegation in Geneva (t.me/umerov_rustem)
The Ukrainian delegation managed to hold off pressure from the Russian side, and the military subgroup has made progress in agreeing on procedural matters. Russia’s key demand remains unchanged — the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire Donetsk region, an informed source told RBC-Ukraine.
Read also: Ukraine holds separate meeting with Russia in Geneva without US: What is known
A source says the military subgroup is nearing the finish line, while the political subgroup is currently at a standstill.
"The implementation of what the military subgroup has worked out depends on the political subgroup’s decisions. A meeting at the leadership level is now necessary. That will probably happen. The Russians plan to pass this proposal to Putin, as they do not have the authority to make such a decision themselves," the source explained.
A source says Medinsky has started appealing to the 2022 Istanbul talks, proposing to rely on the conditions and positions agreed there. However, the Ukrainian delegation managed to change the direction of the conversation.
"Back then, the conditions were completely different. Earlier rounds of talks appeared to be moving forward, but this time they went back to their old approach. Ultimately, after those points about Istanbul, the conversation was shifted toward a more constructive path," the source added.
"History lessons" from Medinsky
When asked whether there were any "history lessons" from Medinsky or mentions of the Rurik dynasty, the source replied, "of course."
According to him, the change in the head of the Russian delegation and the arrival of a representative from their Foreign Ministry caused the Russian side to refocus more actively on the issue of withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donetsk.
"They explain it by saying that in Abu Dhabi the focus was on military topics — monitoring procedures, ceasefire, etc. — while in Geneva they emphasized the political component. That’s why Medinsky and the Foreign Ministry representative came. Perhaps Medinsky’s appointment is either an attempt to drag out the negotiation process or to present Russia’s conditions more ultimatively," the source said.
He added that in Geneva, the parties agreed that the work of the negotiating teams would continue, and the next meeting could take place in a week or two.
Negotiations in Geneva
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry reported that Ukraine and Russia have already agreed on the next round of peace talks. However, no details regarding the date or location have been provided.
This was also confirmed by Medinsky, who said that the next Ukraine-Russia negotiations would take place soon. He also joked about his history lectures during the meeting, noting that the parties "stopped at the Baptism of Rus."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukraine-Russia talks in Geneva could already be reaching a final stage, but Russia is trying to drag them out.
