The second day of peace negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Geneva concluded abruptly on Wednesday morning, after only two hours of discussions.
Prior to this meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had reflected upon the “difficult” first day of negotiations, which lasted six hours, and accused Russia of deliberately delaying progress.
“We can state that Russia is attempting to prolong discussions that could have already reached their final stage,” he said. “I gave a clear directive to the Ukrainian delegation—to do everything possible to ensure the negotiations are nonetheless productive and enhance the chances for peaceful solutions.”
After the talks ended, Zelensky informed members of the press via WhatsApp: “We acknowledge that progress has been made, but for now, positions differ because the negotiations were challenging.”
Rustem Umerov, head of the on-site Ukrainian delegation, also delivered a brief statement, describing the discussions as “intensive and substantive.”
“Within the delegation, both political and military tracks were engaged, and security parameters and mechanisms for implementing possible decisions were discussed. A number of issues were clarified, while others remained under additional coordination,” he said.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, similarly characterized the talks as “difficult, but businesslike,” adding that “the next meeting will take place soon.” An exact date was not provided.
TIME has sought further comment from the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministries.
Security guarantees and territorial disputes remain at the core of the Ukraine-Russia stalemate. Moscow is advocating for Ukraine to relinquish parts of the Donbas region that Ukrainian forces control. Ukraine has consistently rejected any such land concessions.
The U.S. mediation—led by Special Envoy and Jared Kushner, ’s son-in-law—are expected to largely concentrate on these territorial disagreements when talks resume.
The Geneva negotiations had already been somewhat overshadowed by ongoing fighting. Zelensky stated that Russia launched a missile strike on the very day talks began.
“Russia greets with a strike even the very day new formats begin in Geneva—trilateral and bilateral with the United States. This very clearly shows what Russia wants and what it is truly intent on,” he said, urging U.S. officials to pressure Moscow to refrain from further attacks.
Meanwhile, Zelensky told Axios on Tuesday that it was “not fair” for Trump to have publicly called on Ukraine to make concessions for peace. He said he hoped those remarks were “his tactics and not the decision.”
By contrast, Zelensky said his conversations with Kushner and Witkoff do not involve that kind of pressure. “We respect each other,” Zelensky said, adding that he is not a person who yields easily under pressure.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Feb. 13: “Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky is going to have to get moving. Otherwise, he’s going to miss a great opportunity.”
On Feb. 16, the day before the peace talks in Geneva, Trump revisited the topic once more, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “Ukraine better come to the table, fast. That’s all I’m telling you. We are in a position, we want them to come.”
Zelensky previously clashed with the Trump Administration over its plan to end the war, as the widely-leaked plan reportedly included calls for Kyiv to reduce its army and make territorial concessions—terms Ukraine swiftly rejected, as they have done before.
