Russian and Ukrainian delegations were in Geneva for another round of talks on Tuesday as part of the latest push by the United States to end the four-year war.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. (AP)US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as a peacemaker in the conflict when Russia invades Ukraine in February 2022, but two previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have produced no breakthrough.
“Ukraine better come to the table quickly,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington.
Ukraine says Russia is unwilling to compromise its broader territorial and political claims and wants to continue fighting.
“Even on the eve of the trilateral meeting in Geneva, the Russian military has no orders but to continue attacking Ukraine. This speaks volumes about how Russia regards the diplomatic efforts of its partners,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media on Monday.
“Only with sufficient pressure on Russia and clear security guarantees for Ukraine can this war be realistically ended.”
The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two previous rounds held in Abu Dhabi this year.
Zelensky said his team had already arrived in Geneva, while a source in the Russian delegation confirmed on Tuesday that their team had landed in the Swiss city in the early hours of the morning.
The fighting showed no let-up overnight, with Russia claiming more than 150 drones and Ukrainian officials reporting damage to buildings in the port city of Odessa and at least two injuries after drone strikes.
– Sticking Point –
The war has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, killing tens of thousands, forcing millions to flee their homes in Ukraine and ravaging much of the country’s east and south.
Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine — including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 — and areas Moscow-backed separatists held before the 2022 invasion.
It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from heavily defended and strategic areas as part of any peace deal.
Kiev rejected the deeply unpopular demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and instead demanded stronger security guarantees from the West before agreeing to any deal with Russia.
Ukraine has recently made significant battlefield gains, reclaiming 201 square kilometers (78 square miles) last week, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
A counterattack would likely exploit Russian forces’ lack of access to Starlink, which disrupted communications, ISW said.
Territorial gains are largely concentrated about 80 kilometers east of the city of Zaporizhia, an area where Russian troops have otherwise made significant advances since last summer.
The centrally located region hosts Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia currently controls — another sticking point in the negotiations.
For the talks in Geneva, the Kremlin has reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its chief negotiator.
“This time, we plan to discuss a broader issue, focusing on key issues related to the regions and other demands,” a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin told reporters, including AFP, explaining the personnel change.
The team in Kiev will be led by former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to send special envoy Steve Wittkoff and businessman and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
