Geneva talks: Key details on Ukraine-US-Russia meeting

Read also: Historical lecture over compromise: Kremlin's new delegation heads to Geneva for Donbas talks

Key points

• The third round is taking place in Geneva (Switzerland) and will continue tomorrow.
• This is the first meeting between the parties in Europe since the start of the full-scale war.
• Russia said the agenda will include territorial issues.
• Ukraine plans to raise the energy ceasefire and humanitarian issues.
• Composition of the Ukrainian delegation: Umerov, Budanov, Skibitskyi, Kyslytsya, Hnatov, Arakhamia.
• Witkoff, Kushner, Driscoll represent the United States.
• Russia downgraded the status of its delegation, headed by the “historian” Medinsky (previously it was led by GRU chief Kostyukov).
• On the eve of the talks, Trump raised pressure, saying that Ukraine should sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible.
• Ahead of the talks, Russia carried out a massive strike on Ukraine’s energy sector.

5:20 pm

France, Germany, Italy, and the UK have sent representatives to Geneva, La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera reported. National security advisers from these countries are "monitoring the talks" and are expected to meet with Ukrainian and US delegations later today.

2:59 pm

A new round of trilateral negotiations has begun in Geneva.

"We have a framework for work and a clear mandate agreed upon by the President of Ukraine. Security and humanitarian issues are on the agenda. We are working constructively, focused and without unnecessary expectations," wrote Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

Photo: Ukrainian, American and Russian delegations at the talks in Geneva on February 17 (t.me/umerov_rustem)

Photo: Ukrainian, American and Russian delegations at the talks in Geneva on February 17 (t.me/umerov_rustem)

Photo: Ukrainian, American and Russian delegations at the talks in Geneva on February 17 (t.me/umerov_rustem)

According to him, the task of the Ukrainian team is to push solutions that can bring sustainable peace closer as much as possible.

2:05 pm

The Russian delegation has arrived at the venue of the talks in Geneva, pro-Kremlin media reported and published a video. The Russian delegation is headed by Medinsky, who is called a "historian" because of his manner of giving "lectures" at the negotiations.

1:27 pm

While everyone is waiting for the start in Geneva, an air raid alarm has been declared throughout Ukraine due to the threat of ballistic missiles. Monitoring channels report that it may be caused by the Oreshnik missile threat.

12:24 pm

Meanwhile, CNN reports that negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear deal are also underway in Geneva. The American side is also represented by Witkoff and Kushner. They are not in direct contact with the Iranians, but communicate through an intermediary - the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi

12:10 pm

CNN reporter Haley Britzky said on X that, apart from Witkoff and Kushner, the US delegation includes the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, and Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll.

11:30 am

According to pro-Kremlin media, the meeting between Ukraine, the US and Russia will discuss territorial, military, political, and economic issues, as well as "various aspects of security."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that official results should not be expected today, as the talks will continue tomorrow.

10:42 am (Kyiv time)

This is the first such meeting on a European platform since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Before that, trilateral negotiations were held in Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The talks in Geneva will take place in the second half of the day, CNN writes. Meanwhile, Russian propaganda media report that the start is scheduled for 1:00 pm (Kyiv time).

A spokeswoman for the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Diana Davitian, told journalists that the meeting will begin around noon.

What's on the agenda?

The Russian side said that this time the agenda will be broader than during the previous round in Abu Dhabi. The Kremlin announced a discussion of the territorial issue.

Ukraine, for its part, plans to raise the topic of an energy ceasefire. The Ukrainian side also expects results on humanitarian issues.

Composition of the delegations

Ukraine

• Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov;
• Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov;
• Deputy Head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense Vadym Skibitskyi;
• Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Sergiy Kyslytsya;
• Chief of the General Staff General Andrii Hnatov;
• Head of the Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia.

The Ukrainian delegation arrived in Geneva the evening before.

United States

The American side will be represented by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, and US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll.

According to available information, they arrived in Geneva this morning to take part in the talks.

Russia

This time, Russia downgraded the status of its delegation. It is headed by Putin's aide and his ideologist Vladimir Medinsky, who already took part in last year’s talks in Istanbul. Earlier, in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation was led by GRU chief Igor Kostyukov.

A plane with the Russian delegation landed in Switzerland on Tuesday morning.

Russians said that their delegation will include at least 15 people. In addition to Medinsky and Kostyukov, it includes Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, known for supporting the Kremlin’s hard line. He has already started pushing narratives about “external governance” of Ukraine under the auspices of the UN.

Politico writes that among the delegates is GRU representative Alexander Zorin, who participated in negotiations about Azovstal in 2022.

Among the likely participants were also named Elena Podobreevskaya (a subordinate of Medinsky) and Alexey Polishchuk (a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry).

Kremlin special envoy Kirill Dmitriev also arrived in Geneva.

Trump’s pressure

On the eve of the talks in Geneva, US President Donald Trump increased pressure on Kyiv, saying that “Ukraine better come to the table fast.”

“Well, big talks. It's going to be very easy...Ukraine better come to the table fast. That's all I'm telling you. We are in a position we want them to come,” he told journalists aboard Air Force One.

Russian strike ahead of the talks

Before the meeting in Geneva, the Russians carried out a combined strike on Ukraine with missiles and drones on the night of February 17. The main targets were energy and civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry noted that this shows the degree of Russia’s disregard for peace efforts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for greater pressure on the aggressor country.

The enemy launched 29 missiles and 396 drones overnight. Although most targets were intercepted by air defense, there were still hits. Odesa, Dnipro, and western Ukraine were under attack. Among the 9 injured are children. The Odesa thermal power plant was attacked, as well as ordinary residential buildings.

Read more about the consequences of the attack in a separate RBC-Ukraine article.

In January and early February 2026, several rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi with US mediation.

Important progress on ending the war was not achieved then. However, the parties agreed on a prisoner exchange, which became the first in five months.