Kyiv and Moscow agree on ceasefire monitoring but remain deadlocked over occupied regions and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid US pressure for a deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Kyiv and Moscow made some progress during US-mediated talks in Geneva but failed to reach a compromise on the central issue of territory.
The negotiations, facilitated by the United States, are part of a broader push by Washington to end the nearly four-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people and devastated large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine. Despite the latest discussions, Russia and Ukraine remain deeply divided over territorial control in any future settlement.
Moscow is seeking full control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as part of a potential agreement and has warned it could seize the territory by force if Kyiv refuses to concede at the negotiating table.
Ukraine has rejected the demand, describing it as politically and militarily unacceptable, and has indicated it will not agree to any deal without firm security guarantees designed to prevent further Russian aggression.
“We can see that some groundwork has been done, but for now the positions differ, because the negotiations were not easy,” AFP quoted Zelenskyy as saying in a message to journalists after the talks had finished.
Zelenskyy said the two sides had reached agreement on “almost all issues” related to a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which will include the United States.
However, Zelenskyy noted that sensitive questions regarding the fate of occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and the future of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remain unresolved.
The head of Russia’s delegation described the talks as “difficult, but business-like” and said further negotiations are planned.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a conflict that has caused widespread destruction, killed tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, and displaced millions from their homes.
Zelensky Pushback
For the Geneva talks, the Kremlin reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator, while Ukrainian national security secretary Rustem Umerov headed Kyiv’s delegation.
Umerov described the discussions as “intensive and substantive,” telling reporters that the next step would be to try to reach a level of consensus to “submit the developed decisions for consideration by the presidents.”
US President Donald Trump applied pressure on Ukraine on Monday to push for a deal, saying the country “better come to the table, fast.”
Zelenskyy told Axios on Tuesday that it was “not fair” that Ukraine —not Russia —was facing heightened pressure, adding that lasting peace could not be achieved if “victory” was simply handed to Moscow.
“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.
Russia currently occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 and areas previously taken by Moscow-backed separatists.
Kyiv has repeatedly warned that conceding more territory would effectively “reward” Russia for its invasion and could embolden further attacks.
Overnight and late Tuesday, Russian drone and artillery strikes wounded at least one person and damaged buildings, according to Ukrainian regional authorities.
Zelenskyy also noted that officials from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy were participating in Geneva on the sidelines, calling European involvement “indispensable” for any sustainable final agreement.
On the battlefield, Russia has continued to make gradual gains along the front line, claiming control of villages in southern Zaporizhzhia region and northern Sumy region on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Moscow faces mounting economic pressures, with stagnant growth, a ballooning budget deficit, and sanction-hit oil revenues falling to a five-year low.
With inputs from agencies
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