Zelensky says no agreement on key issues after second day of Geneva talks
Ukraine and Russia did not find agreement on the central issues of how to end the four-year at U.S.-mediated talks in Geneva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday.
"We can see that some groundwork has been done, but for now the positions differ, because the negotiations were not easy," Zelensky said in a message to journalists, including from AFP, after the talks had finished.
He said the fate of occupied territory in Ukraine's east and the future status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, captured by Russian forces, were the unresolved "sensitive issues" in a second day of U.S.-mediated talks.
Ahead of the talks, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement that Russian forces had launched one ballistic missile and deployed 126 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine, adding that its air defense units had downed 100 unmanned aerial vehicles.
- 'Meaningful progress' -
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that talks between Ukraine and Russia had "brought about meaningful progress" in the Washington-led drive to end the war in Ukraine.
"President Trump's success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress, and we are proud to work under his leadership to stop the killing in this terrible conflict. Both parties agreed to update their respective leaders and continue working towards a deal," he wrote on X.
- 'Difficult' -
Zelensky said earlier on Wednesday that talks with Russia and the United States seeking to end Moscow's invasion were "difficult", and accused the Russian team of delaying the process.
"Yesterday's meetings were indeed difficult, and we can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage," Zelensky said on social media after being briefed by his team ahead of a second day of talks in Geneva now underway.
He said Europe's participation at talks in Geneva was vital for any agreements reached on halting the war to hold.
"We consider Europe's participation in the process indispensable for the successful implementation of entirely feasible agreements," the Ukrainian leader said in a statement on social media.
He also confirmed, following earlier reports, that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators had met on Tuesday with officials from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Russia's top negotiator said the two days of talks were "difficult", but fresh talks would be held soon.
"They were difficult, but business-like. The next meeting will take place in the near future," Russia's Vladimir Medinsky told state media reporters after the talks in Geneva, without elaborating.
- Ukraine chief negotiator sees 'progress' -
Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said there had been progress, following the conclusion of a Geneva meeting on Wednesday.
"We are focused on working through the key provisions required to finalize the process. This is complex work that requires alignment among all parties and sufficient time. There is progress but no details can be disclosed at this stage," he told reporters.
Russia and Ukraine appear to still be far apart on their demands for a peace settlement.
Zelensky has offered a ceasefire and a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But Moscow wants a comprehensive agreement before committing to a truce.
Putin’s key goals remain what he declared when Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022: Ukraine must renounce joining NATO, sharply reduce the size of its army and protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscow’s orbit.
Additionally, Putin wants Kyiv to withdraw its forces from the four regions Moscow has occupied but doesn’t fully control.
Zelensky says Ukraine won't surrender land to Russia.
Source: Agence France Presse
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