Ukraine peace talks end after Zelenskiy accuses Russia of stalling

GENEVA — Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia concluded Wednesday after only two hours, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy describing the talks as “difficult” and accusing Moscow of intentionally delaying progress toward a deal to end the ongoing war.

The two-day U.S.-mediated discussions in Switzerland came amid public pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has twice suggested that it was up to Ukraine and Zelenskiy to ensure the talks succeed.

“We can see that progress has been made, but for now, positions differ because the negotiations were difficult,” Zelenskiy told reporters via WhatsApp shortly after the talks ended.

Rustem Umerov, head of Kyiv’s negotiating team, described the second day as “intensive and substantive,” noting that both sides were working toward decisions that could be submitted to their respective presidents.

Russia’s chief negotiator, former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, said further discussions would be held soon, though no date was specified. Earlier, Zelenskiy had accused Russia of “trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage.”

Ukrainian officials have consistently accused Moscow, whose winter bombing campaign has targeted Ukraine’s energy system and continued its battlefield offensive, of negotiating in bad faith.

PRESSURE FROM THE U.S.

In a recent Axios interview, Zelenskiy criticized Trump for publicly pressuring Ukraine rather than Russia to make concessions. “It is not fair,” he said, adding that any peace plan requiring Ukraine to cede territory not captured by Russia in the eastern Donbas would be rejected if put to a referendum.

Trump had earlier told reporters, “Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you.” Zelenskiy expressed hope that the U.S. president’s comments were tactical rather than indicative of an actual decision.

PUSH FOR EUROPEAN INVOLVEMENT

Kyiv has been advocating for greater involvement from European allies in the peace process. Zelenskiy called their participation “indispensable,” with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom among Kyiv’s strongest supporters.

The Geneva talks took place days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and devastated numerous cities and towns. Russia continues to deny deliberately targeting civilians.

STALLED TALKS AND MARKET IMPACT

Umerov said the first day focused on practical issues and the mechanics of potential decisions, while a Russian source described the Tuesday sessions as “very tense,” lasting six hours in both bilateral and trilateral formats.

Reports of stalled progress caused Ukrainian government bonds to fall as much as 1.9 cents on the dollar in European morning trading.

Before the Geneva meeting, Umerov had tempered expectations, saying the Ukrainian delegation was working “without excessive expectations.” These talks follow two previous U.S.-brokered rounds in Abu Dhabi that ended without major breakthroughs, as the parties remained divided on key issues, including territorial control in eastern Ukraine.

Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized prior to the full-scale invasion in 2022. Recent Russian airstrikes on energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heating and electricity during the winter months.