Published February 17,2026
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The first of two days of closed-door negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended on Tuesday without obvious breakthroughs.
"After the joint part, the work continued in thematic groups," Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on Telegram following the talks, which were mediated by the United States.
He said the negotiations focused on "practical issues and mechanisms for possible solutions," and were structured in two blocks - one political and one military.
Russia's state news agencies also confirmed the end of the talks, which are to continue on Wednesday.
Umerov had earlier thanked the US side for their participation and said President Volodymyr Zelensky had set clear objectives for the talks. "Our task is to push forward as far as possible the decisions that can promote lasting peace," he said.
The US delegation in Geneva includes Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
The Russian side is led by Kremlin official Vladimir Medinsky, who has taken part in multiple rounds of talks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already cautioned that no breakthroughs were to be expected on Tuesday as the talks were set to continue the following day.
According to the Kremlin, Russia is aiming to discuss disputed territorial issues with Ukraine during the talks. Kiev is refusing to relinquish the territories demanded by Russia, including those in the Donetsk region that Ukraine still controls.
Ukraine is believed to be seeking a partial ceasefire on attacks on the country's energy facilities after weeks of attacks that have left millions of Ukrainians without power, water and heating in a brutally cold winter.
Bilateral talks on US-Russian economic relations were also due to take place in Geneva at the same time, the Kremlin said previously.
The latest round of talks follows two rounds of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi in January and early February, as diplomats seek to find a path to an end to the conflict, almost four years on from the Russian invasion.
Moscow has stated that it wants to end its war on Ukraine, but only on its own terms. Ukraine has so far rejected Russia's demands as unacceptable.
The two sides continued to exchange airstrikes on Tuesday despite the talks, with casualties and power outages reported in Ukraine.
