Ukraine holds separate meeting with Russia in Geneva without US: What is known
Photo: Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov (Getty Images)
During the peace talks in Geneva, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, met with the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, according to a comment from Umerov’s press secretary, Diana Davityan.
Read also: Zelenskyy says Russia dragging out Geneva peace talks
After the formal conclusion of the trilateral talks in Geneva, Medinsky held separate meetings with Umerov and Servant of the People faction leader David Arakhamia.
According to Davityan, the negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian representatives continued until 2 a.m.
What Zelenskyy’s office says about the meeting
Ukrainian President’s communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists that the meeting between Ukrainian representatives and Medinsky "should definitely not be considered some separate format."
"This man himself expressed a desire to meet additionally. There were certain clarifications regarding what had been discussed earlier. Nothing special. Following the talks, the delegation will report to the president in Kyiv on all the details, and we will inform you about it," he said.
According to Lytvyn, by the time Medinsky approached the Ukrainian side, part of the delegation had already left. It was then decided that Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamia would speak with him.
"This was not planned; in the end, there was nothing substantive about it, and please do not portray Medinsky as something he is not, as if he had something special or parallel," he emphasized.
Geneva talks
On February 18, the Ukrainian 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 confirmed by Medinsky, who stated that the next Ukraine–Russia negotiations will take place "soon." He also cynically joked about his historical lectures during the meeting, noting that he "stopped at the Baptism of Rus."
Previous rounds of talks involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia were held in Abu Dhabi on January 23–24 and February 4–5. The countries were unable to achieve substantial progress on ending the war, but they agreed on a prisoner exchange, the first in five months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that during the two-day talks in Geneva on February 17–18, the delegations of Ukraine, Russia, and the US made significant progress on the military track. At the same time, he noted that discussions on political issues were difficult.
Zelenskyy also stated that the talks between Ukraine and the aggressor country in Geneva could already be reaching a final stage, but Russia is trying to delay them.
Notably, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, reported "significant progress" after the first day of talks in Geneva.
The Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said that during the trilateral talks in Geneva, some issues were clarified. He also spoke about the next stage.
