Talks between US, Ukraine begin in Geneva

US and Ukrainian officials began bilateral talks Thursday in Geneva, one week after trilateral negotiations involving Russia in the same city, as efforts continue to end the war, which this week entered a fifth year.

"Today in Geneva we continue our work within the framework of the negotiation process. A bilateral meeting with the American delegation has begun -- with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on the US social media company X.

Umerov said Ukraine's delegation includes lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev and Deputy Economy Minister Daryna Marchak.

"Together with the Government's economic team, we will thoroughly work through the prosperity package: mechanisms for economic support and recovery of Ukraine, instruments for attracting investment, and frameworks for long-term cooperation," he said.

Umerov added that, along with Arakhamia, he will discuss preparations for the next round of trilateral negotiations involving Russia.

"An important issue is the humanitarian track and the issue of possible exchanges. We expect concrete results regarding the return of our citizens," he said. "We are focused on practical solutions. We will inform about the outcomes after the meeting is concluded."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the agenda for the meeting with US President Donald Trump in a call Wednesday, which included US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.

"We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders' level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war," Zelenskyy wrote on X following the call.

He also signaled that the next trilateral peace talks might take place "at the very beginning of March."

Last week's US-mediated talks in Geneva produced no agreement. Russian presidential envoy Vladimir Medinsky called it "difficult but businesslike," while Umerov said the discussions were "intensive and substantive."