On Wednesday, meetings will continue with the participation of delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Rustem Umerov, who heads the Ukrainian delegation and is the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, reported that the focus on the first day of negotiations was on practical issues and possible solutions. He clarified this on social media.
The discussions on Tuesday lasted approximately six hours, according to a TASS source. No official statements were made following the first day, however, the source added that the negotiations took place in a tense atmosphere.
Before the start of the negotiations on February 17, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed Russian media that no news should be expected from the first meeting. "I believe that today we should not expect news, as the work will continue tomorrow," he noted. Peskov also emphasized that the agenda includes a broader range of issues, including important territorial problems.
Ukrainian President's advisor Sergey Leshchenko confirmed that representatives of key European allies of Ukraine — France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom — are present at the negotiations in Geneva. According to Leshchenko, advisors on national security from these countries are in the city.
The Russian delegation, according to TASS, arrived at the meeting on Tuesday with security. It consists of 15 to 20 people, led by Vladimir Medinsky, an assistant to the President of Russia, who previously led negotiations in 2022 and in 2025 in Istanbul.
Kirill Dmitriev, the special representative of the President of Russia for investment and economic cooperation, is also present in Geneva. His task is to establish economic ties with the American side.
From the United States, besides the special envoy of President Donald Trump, Steve Whitcoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Alex Grinkevich are participating in the negotiations.
The Ukrainian delegation includes Rustem Umerov, Kirill Budanov, Budanov's deputy Sergey Kislytsia, Andrey Hnatov, who is the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, David Arakhamia, the leader of the Servant of the People party faction, and Vadim Skibitsky, the deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
Previously, President Donald Trump claimed that Washington was close to reaching an agreement on the conflict. The latest round of negotiations took place on February 4-5 in Abu Dhabi and was characterized as constructive, allowing the sides to exchange prisoners of war in the number of 157 people from each side.
The parties acknowledge that one of the most difficult issues remains territorial claims. Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, while Kyiv refuses to make concessions and maintains the position of "we stand where we stand." The President of Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized that the country does not intend to "gift" its territories.
