Geneva Express: negotiators have moved from technical issues to politics
The next stage of the Ukrainian settlement has been completed in Geneva. Representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States did not talk much about the results of the two-day talks, but no one disputes the fact of progress. There's a new round ahead. The continuation of difficult discussions indicates a progressive movement towards peace, Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia. According to the MP, if necessary, contacts at the parliamentary level are also possible. These days, issues were discussed not only of a military-technical nature, as in Abu Dhabi, but also of a political one. Although the most sensitive issues, such as territorial concessions, have not yet been resolved. What are the main results of the Swiss negotiation track — in the material of Izvestia.
What is known about the negotiations in Geneva
The two-day talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine in Geneva left a slight understatement, if not uncertainty. The next stage of discussions on the settlement of the conflict has ended, but there are almost no results or even any significant details in the public space. Probably, the main discussions took place on the first day, February 17, when the meeting lasted more than four hours, and this is not counting the bilateral contacts. In addition to the main closed-door talks with the participation of, among others, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the parties apparently consulted separately. In addition, Europeans were "on duty" in the corridors of the InterContinental Hotel. According to numerous sources, representatives of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom quickly gathered there.
And the next day, on February 18, the negotiations were completed in two hours. The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, called them difficult but businesslike, announcing a new round in the near future. However, the absence of a full-scale press conference does not mean that there are no significant results. As the Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry have repeatedly pointed out, silence is more useful here.
— The negotiations were held behind closed doors, they were difficult, as the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said, but effective. The next round should take place "soon", which means that work is underway and, of course, with some progress. It's not an easy process. And the fact that it continues indicates a progressive movement towards peace," Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, told Izvestia.
The main thing now is to correctly convey the positions and proposals of the parties, including to their leaders.
"Naturally, there are direct reports to the president [of Russia Vladimir Putin on the interim results], but it's too early to talk about any estimates," Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the head of the Russian Federation, said at a briefing, answering a question from Izvestia.
Vladimir Zelensky announced some progress in the military direction. In addition to the heads of delegations, Moscow, Washington and Kiev were represented in Geneva by the military. According to the Ukrainian leader, all three sides were constructive.: "The military understands how to monitor a cease-fire and an end to the war, if there is a political will. They basically agreed on almost everything there. The monitoring will definitely involve the American side."
— The progress in the military direction that Zelensky is talking about primarily concerns the line of demarcation, which is still unclear where it will run. Especially considering his periodic statements that they would not give up anything, or that they would hold a referendum on territorial concessions. Therefore, I would consider this statement as a diplomatic game aimed primarily at the President of the United States — that he, they say, sat down at this table and even agreed on something," Ivan Loshkarev, associate professor of political Theory at MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, tells Izvestia.
On the eve of the meetings in Geneva, Donald Trump publicly hinted that it would be better for Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible. Zelensky himself complained that the White House was already "too often" talking about the need for concessions from Kiev.
— The modality of observing a possible truce, as it seems to me, has been discussed for quite a long time, and solutions have been proposed, including technological ones, including an unmanned monitoring mission. We don't know the details. Zelensky talks about moving in this direction, because that's the only thing he can interpret in his favor, which is exactly what he's doing," concluded Alexander Asafov, a political scientist and member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.
What will happen after the meetings in Switzerland
Nevertheless, even in the absence of any other specific information, several interesting conclusions can be drawn from the Geneva talks. Previous discussions in Abu Dhabi focused mainly on the military-technical part, Ivan Loshkarev recalls. It is no coincidence that the Russian delegation was then headed by Igor Kostyukov, Head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
"In Geneva, the full—scale negotiation process and the return of Medinsky indicate that the socio-humanitarian factor will be presented quite powerfully, that is, the issues of persecution of the UOC, the status of the Russian language in Ukraine and the implementation of measures to repeal rather odious laws related to the glorification of Nazis and collaborators in Ukraine," the expert continues.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, noted that both military and political issues were indeed raised. According to him, "security parameters and mechanisms for implementing possible solutions" were discussed.
Now we are talking about discussing significant political issues, that is, related to the signing of peace, and not with the withdrawal of armed forces after.
— In this sense, of course, whatever agreements were reached in Abu Dhabi, they are of a technical nature. And the key issues are those that were discussed these two days," said Vladimir Shapovalov, Deputy Director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State University.
The key topic, of course, remains the territories — Kiev still refuses to leave the rest of the Donbas. This is a crucial issue, and such political aspects are unlikely to be quickly agreed upon in the current conditions, political scientist Denis Denisov draws attention to.
In order to move closer to progress in this direction, Zelensky instructed his representatives in Geneva to raise the issue of a possible meeting with Putin. It seems that personal contacts between the leaders are still too far away, although the Russian side offered to hold such a meeting in Moscow, promising to ensure complete security. In any case, if new information appears on this issue, it is worth waiting for it from Vladimir Medinsky, Dmitry Peskov assured.
Moreover, contacts are also possible at the level of the parliaments of both countries. As the settlement progresses, such a need may theoretically arise, especially given the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government. Currently, the Verkhovna Rada remains the legal representative, while Zelensky's presidential term expired back in May 2024.
— Russia has always advocated negotiations at all levels. If the issue arises and contacts are needed on the parliamentary track, of course, for the sake of the overall result, we are ready for them," Leonid Slutsky told Izvestia.
Finally, the Geneva track clearly demonstrated the role of the European Union in the settlement. The fact that the negotiations took place in Switzerland, although not part of the EU, but surrounded by its member states, speaks of ignoring the positions of Brussels, Ivan Loshkarev believes. The Russian delegation reached its destination unhindered, despite the restrictions on the use of airspace, although the flight took more than eight hours — the route passed over the territory of Turkey, the eastern Mediterranean and Italy. That is, ignoring Europe — although its representatives arrived at the InterContinental, but not to participate in the trilateral negotiations — is manifested not only in the diplomatic plane, but also in the legal one.
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