Peace Hopes Fade as Russia-Ukraine Talks End Empty
Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Geneva stall after tense negotiations, with the Donbas dispute and ceasefire terms blocking a breakthrough.
Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US aimed at resolving Moscow's conflict in Ukraine have ended without success.
A three-way meeting in Geneva, which began late Tuesday night, lasted only two hours on Wednesday.
While US Ambassador Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the talks, both Russia and Ukraine indicated that they were "difficult."
Moscow and Kyiv remain deeply divided on key issues of territory and potential ceasefire terms in the four-year-long conflict.
While acknowledging that the talks were difficult, Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said they were "business-like" and that another meeting would take place "soon."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also described the talks as "not easy" due to differing opinions between the two sides.
Ukrainian negotiator Rustam Umarov expressed some disappointment, saying that the talks were "very good and in-depth," and that while progress had been made, no details could be provided "at this stage."
Umarov said, "This is a difficult task that requires coordination between all parties and a lot of time."
Shortly before announcing the end of the talks, Zelensky accused Russia of "trying to drag out" the negotiations, which may already be in their final stages.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations last met in January during US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, which led to the first prisoner exchange in several months. On Wednesday, Zelensky hinted that another exchange could take place.
US President Donald Trump, who led diplomatic efforts to end the war, is growing impatient with the deadlock between the two sides.
On Monday, he said Ukraine should "quickly come to the negotiating table" – a claim Zelensky has since rejected, saying it's "not right" to ask his country to compromise.
Four years after Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, a significant gap remains between Moscow's demands and what Kyiv considers a "just peace."
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Russia has demanded full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Kyiv has long refused this demand, which would mean Ukraine would have to give up its territory, including several fortified cities and a long defensive line in the Donetsk region.
Many Ukrainians believe that giving up that territory would increase the risk of another Russian attack on the country.
On Tuesday, Zelensky told US media outlet Axios that if Donbas is put to a referendum, Ukrainians will reject any plans to leave Donbas.
Another obstacle in the talks is the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
This power plant – Europe's largest – is on the front line and has been under Russian control since March 2022. Ukraine wants Moscow to return it, and Zelensky has previously said that Kyiv could share control of the plant with the Americans – an arrangement Moscow is unlikely to agree to.
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