A new round of negotiations on Ukraine in Geneva. What is known

A new round of negotiations between Russia, the United States and Ukraine on the settlement of the conflict will be held on February 17-18 in Geneva. Switzerland has officially confirmed its readiness to host the trilateral meeting, and the Russian delegation will be led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

Why was Geneva chosen as the venue for negotiations

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Friday, February 13, that the next trilateral meeting would be held in Geneva. According to him, this city was recognized as "appropriate and convenient for all" participants in the process, which made it possible to synchronize the schedules of representatives of the delegations.

The Russian delegation will be headed by Medinsky at the upcoming consultations. The Swiss Foreign Ministry, in turn, stated the country's readiness to organize a meeting and provide a platform for dialogue. The ministry also stressed that the country "supports any diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace."

Results of the previous round in Abu Dhabi

The previous round of closed-door consultations ended on February 6 in the UAE capital, and its only public outcome was an agreement on the exchange of 314 prisoners of war. The Russian Defense Ministry immediately announced the return of 157 Russian servicemen, which was the first such action in the last five months.

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How did the two days of meetings on Ukraine end and what is the reason for the silence around their results?

During the negotiations, the delegations, headed by Igor Kostyukov, Head of the Main Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, also discussed the suspension of hostilities and monitoring mechanisms. The parties worked in groups on economics and security, and then synchronized positions in general sessions.

In addition, Moscow and Washington have managed to make progress in their bilateral relations.: They agreed to resume a high-level dialogue between the military departments, which was interrupted back in 2021.

First contacts and positions of the parties

The parties assessed the first round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, which took place on January 23-24, as constructive. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that representatives of the three countries had "a lot to discuss," and the main topic was possible parameters for ending the conflict. Peskov then called the beginning of direct contacts with Kiev a good process.

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The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that the cessation of violations of the rights of Russian speakers and the UOC is also one of the key conditions for a settlement.

The Russian delegation at these consultations, the key topics of which were the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbass and the protection of the Russian-speaking population, defended the "basic understandings" reached in August by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump in Anchorage. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow has made "every effort" to work out a settlement scheme.

The American delegation at those meetings included special envoy of the President of the United States Stephen Witkoff and the son-in-law of the American leader Jared Kushner, and the Ukrainian side was represented by high-ranking officials, including the head of the office of the President Kirill Budanov (listed as an extremist and terrorist in the Russian Federation).

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.