The United States moderated a third round of trilateral discussions with Ukraine and Russia at the direction of President Donald Trump. The parties agreed to brief their respective leaders and continue working toward possible agreements.
This was stated by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on X. He thanked the Swiss Confederation for hosting the meetings and said that bringing both sides together had led to meaningful progress.
The third stage of consultations is taking place in Geneva on February 17–18 and is focused on finding ways to end the war. Ukrainian officials previously said the talks would address possible parameters of a ceasefire, including the format of an international monitoring mission, as well as a potential halt to strikes on energy infrastructure.
Following the first day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine confirms its readiness to move toward de-escalation and a peace agreement, while expecting a clear position from Moscow. National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said discussions centered on practical mechanisms of potential decisions and confirmed that political and military groups would continue their work on February 18.
Umerov also held separate consultations with representatives of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland to review the first day’s results and coordinate next steps.
At the same time, according to some reports, negotiations with the Russian delegation have faced complications. The Russian side is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who previously led delegations in 2022 and 2025.
In addition, Russian media report that Moscow intends to demand legally binding guarantees of NATO’s non-expansion eastward. Axios reported that the political group’s meeting in Geneva encountered difficulties due to positions presented by the Russian side.