U.S.-brokered envoy talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Geneva ended Wednesday without a breakthrough, with both sides saying negotiations were “difficult,” as the war’s fourth anniversary approached next week, according to participants.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters after the talks ended that the session was not “easy,” while also saying the military discussions were “constructive.” He said the talks left political differences that remain “deep,” including over the future of land in eastern Ukraine that Russia’s army occupies and that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to keep.
Zelenskyy said he accused Russia during the process of “trying to drag out negotiations” while it presses its invasion. He made that charge as the Geneva talks concluded, and he said it mirrored accusations he and European leaders have made previously.
Russia’s delegation head Vladimir Medinsky said the two days of negotiations in Geneva “were difficult but businesslike,” according to reporters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “too early” to describe the talks’ outcome, adding that Putin had been receiving reports about progress from the negotiations.
Zelenskyy said the talks covered possible future ceasefire monitoring and that the armed forces of both countries considered how monitoring might work. In a voice message shared in a media group chat on WhatsApp, Zelenskyy said, “Monitoring will definitely be carried out with participation of the American side.”
The talks also involved European countries, with Zelenskyy saying the Ukrainian and American envoys met with representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. European leaders have said their own security is at stake in Ukraine and that they must be consulted in any peace efforts, particularly as they consider what they describe as Putin’s wider ambitions.
At the same time, the sides appeared far apart on settlement demands. Zelenskyy has offered a ceasefire and a face-to-face meeting with Putin, while Moscow wants a comprehensive agreement before committing to a truce, according to the reports.
Putin’s key stated goals when Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022 include that Ukraine renounce joining NATO, sharply reduce the size of its army, and protect Russian language and culture to keep Ukraine in Moscow’s orbit. The reports also said Putin wants Kyiv to withdraw its forces from four eastern regions Moscow has occupied but does not fully control, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not surrender land to Russia.
Separately from the negotiations, fighting continued on the front line of about 1,250 kilometers (750 miles), with Russia bombarding civilian areas in Ukraine daily, according to the reporting. Hours after the first day of talks ended Tuesday, Russian drones killed a woman and injured a 6-year-old girl and an 18-month-old toddler in Zaporizhzhia, officials said. Overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Russia launched one ballistic missile and 126 long-range drones.
In the immediate aftermath of the talks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said on social media that Washington’s push for peace in Ukraine over the past year had “brought about meaningful progress,” without adding details.