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Ukraine and Russia made immoderate advancement astatine US-mediated talks successful Geneva but did not find a compromise connected the cardinal contented of territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected Wednesday (February 18, 2026).
The United States has been pushing for an extremity to the astir four-year war, which has killed tens of thousands and destroyed overmuch of eastbound and confederate Ukraine, but Moscow and Kyiv stay astatine likelihood implicit who gets what onshore successful a post-war settlement.
Russia is pushing for afloat power of Ukraine’s eastbound Donetsk portion arsenic portion of immoderate deal, and has threatened to instrumentality it by unit if Kyiv does not cave astatine the negotiating table.
But Ukraine has rejected this demand, which is politically and militarily fraught, and signalled it volition not motion a woody without information guarantees that deter Russia from invading again.
“We tin spot that immoderate groundwork has been done, but for present the positions differ, due to the fact that the negotiations were not easy,” Mr. Zelenskyy said successful a connection to journalists, including from AFP, aft the talks had finished.
The 2 sides agreed connected “almost each issues” related to a ceasefire monitoring mechanics which volition impact the United States, Mr. Zelenskyy said.
But delicate issues related to the destiny of occupied territory successful Ukraine’s eastbound and the aboriginal presumption of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remained unresolved, Mr. Zelenskyy added.
The caput of Russia’s delegation said the talks were “difficult, but business-like” and that further negotiations were planned for the future.
Russia launched its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.
The ensuing struggle has resulted successful a tidal question of demolition that has near full cities successful ruins, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians dormant and forced millions of radical to fly their homes.
Deadlock
For the Geneva talks, the Kremlin reinstated nationalist hawk and erstwhile civilization curate Vladimir Medinsky arsenic its pb negotiator.
Ukrainian nationalist information caput Rustem Umerov led Kyiv’s side.
Mr. Umerov said the talks were “intensive and substantive”, successful a little connection to reporters after.
He said the adjacent measurement was to effort to scope a level of statement to “submit the developed decisions for information by the presidents”.
Donald Trump enactment unit connected Ukraine connected Monday (February 16) to marque a deal, saying they “better travel to the table, fast”.
But Mr. Zelenskyy told Axios connected Tuesday (February 17) it was “not fair” that Ukraine – and not Russia – was facing much pressure, adding that lasting bid would not beryllium achieved if “victory” was conscionable handed to Moscow.
“I anticipation it is conscionable his tactics and not the decision,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
Russia occupies astir one-fifth of Ukraine – including the Crimean Peninsula it seized successful 2014 – and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken anterior to the 2022 invasion.
Ukraine says handing Russia much territory volition efficaciously “reward” Russia for invading and embolden it to onslaught again.
Russian drone and artillery attacks overnight and precocious connected Tuesday (February 17) wounded astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and caused harm to buildings, according to Ukrainian determination authorities.
Mr. Zelenskyy said officials from Britain, France, Germany and Italy were besides successful Geneva for talks connected the sidelines with the Ukrainians, arsenic helium said European information was “indispensable” if immoderate last statement is to beryllium sustainable.
Russia has been dilatory seizing territory crossed the sprawling beforehand enactment for months, claiming power of villages successful the confederate Zaporizhzhia portion and bluish Sumy portion connected Wednesday (February 18).
But its wartime economical worries are mounting, with maturation stagnating and a ballooning fund shortage arsenic sanction-hit lipid revenues driblet to a five-year low.
