Senior Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Switzerland for another round of peace talks brokered by the Trump administration, a week before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
The two-day meeting, which began on Tuesday afternoon, follows negotiations held earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, where delegates from Russia, Ukraine and the United States were in attendance.
While Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange at the conclusion of those last talks, prospects for a peace agreement remain just as uncertain today as when President Donald Trump took office over a year ago, having earlier promised to end the war by day one of his presidency.
“They’re big talks. It’s going to be very easy,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Monday. “Ukraine better come to the table, fast.”
Kremlin adviser and chief peace negotiator Vladimir Medinsky is leading Russia’s delegation at this week’s meeting in Geneva. He is joined by the head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, who served as Moscow’s chief representative at the talks in Abu Dhabi.
Nearly two dozen other officials make up Russia’s delegation. Among them is Kremlin envoy and Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev, who has been meeting with Trump administration officials in parallel talks about potential U.S.-Russian economic relations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday night that his delegation had arrived in Switzerland and was preparing for negotiations. The head of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, Rustem Umerov, is once again serving as the chief negotiator for Kyiv.
Also in attendance were U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whom have become fixtures in the White House’s diplomatic efforts to end the war.
It marks the first time Ukraine peace talks will be held in a European country, with previous meetings taking place in the Middle East and Turkey.
Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine hand over the eastern Donbas region despite Russian forces not controlling all of the territory. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea, even as he comes under increasing pressure from Trump to make a quick deal.
President Vladimir Putin has said Russia will take more territory by force if Ukraine refuses a compromise. He has also indicated that, beyond territorial questions, he wants a change of government in Kyiv, calling Zelensky “illegitimate” and a “neo-Nazi.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters this week that Russian delegates in Switzerland plan to focus on the “main issues” concerning “territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward.”
Ukraine, meanwhile, is pushing the United States and its European allies to provide it with security guarantees as part of a peace agreement since it fears Russia may launch a future invasion if there is no post-war military deterrence in place.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
