GENEVA — Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva ended without progress on Wednesday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy describing the talks as “difficult” and accusing Russia of deliberately slowing progress toward a deal to end the four-year war.
The tripartite meeting in Geneva lasted until late Tuesday, but only for two hours on Wednesday.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the talks, but both the Russian and Ukrainian sides suggested they had been “difficult.”
Moscow and Kiev remain far apart on key territorial issues and the terms of a potential ceasefire in the four-year conflict.
Witkoff said the talks “made meaningful progress” toward ending the war, as both sides prepare for a second day of negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday.
“President Trump’s success in uniting both sides of this war has led to meaningful progress, and we are proud to work under his leadership to stop the carnage in this horrific conflict,” Witkoff wrote to X.
Just before the end of the talks was announced, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of “trying to prolong negotiations that may have already reached their final stage.”
Negotiating concessions has been difficult, but Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky added that the talks had been “administrative” and said another round of talks would be held “soon.”
Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov struck a less somber tone, saying that negotiations were “substantive and intensive” and that while progress was being made, he could not reveal details “at this stage.”
“This is a complex task that requires coordination from all involved and sufficient time,” Umerov said.
US President Donald Trump recently suggested, without mentioning Russia, that it was up to Ukraine to ensure the success of the Swiss talks.
As negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Geneva, Zelenskyy said the US president was putting undue pressure on him in an effort to secure a resolution to Kiev’s nearly four-year war with Russia.
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In an interview with the American website Axios published on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said it was “unfair” that President Trump continues to publicly call for concessions to Ukraine, rather than Russia, on the terms of the peace deal.
“I hope it’s just a tactic and not a decision,” Zelenskiy said in a phone interview, Axios reported.
President Zelenskiy has repeatedly said his country is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine, including most of the eastern Donbass region. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to hand over the remaining parts of the region, which it excludes.
Ukraine says it needs strong security guarantees from Western countries, including the United States, before a settlement with Russia is agreed.
Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said in a statement on social media Tuesday night that the first day’s talks focused on “practical issues and possible solution mechanisms.”
In a video address shortly thereafter, President Zelenskiy said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking, as the United States had proposed to both Kiev and Moscow.
“There is no need for war,” he said, stressing that Ukrainians “are defending their state and independence.”
“We are also ready to move quickly towards a worthy agreement to end the war. The only question is the Russians. What do they want?”
This is the third round of three-way negotiations.
Russia’s state-run RIA news agency cited sources as saying Tuesday’s negotiations, which lasted six hours, were tense and took place in different bilateral and trilateral formats.
The talks are being mediated by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law.
The talks come a week before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that 43 Ukrainian drones were shot down over several Russian regions and Crimea overnight into Wednesday. — Agency
