Kremlin: A new round of Russia-U.S.-Ukraine trilateral talks will be held next week in Geneva, Switzerland

According to CCTV News, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday, February 13th, that a new round of Russia-U.S.-Ukraine talks will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 17th to 18th.

Peskov also said that the Russian delegation will be led by Russian Presidential Aide Mikhail Mintsukov, and that Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will hold a tripartite format for the new round of Ukraine negotiations. Mintsukov has previously participated in multiple rounds of related talks.

Peskov did not disclose the specific agenda for this round of talks. However, he pointed out that Russia hopes to continue discussing economic cooperation issues with the U.S., while emphasizing that any progress on economic agreements will depend on the developments in Ukraine and the peace process.

On the same day, an advisor to the Ukrainian president stated that the Ukrainian delegation is preparing to participate in the upcoming tripartite talks scheduled for February 17th to 18th.

Ukrainian President Zelensky last week said that the U.S. has set a deadline of June for the Russia-Ukraine agreement. However, many of the ultimatums previously proposed by Trump have largely had no substantive impact.

Mintsukov previously led the Russian delegation during the Turkey talks in 2022 and related consultations last year. His return as head of the delegation may indicate that Russia expects the focus of negotiations to shift away from security issues and toward broader disagreements between the conflicting parties.

The previous round of trilateral talks was held last week in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation was led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Russian military intelligence, and included several defense officials. The U.S. was represented by Special Envoys Steve Wittekov and Jared Kushner; Ukraine was represented by National Security Advisor Ruslan Umerov.

Peskov described the Abu Dhabi talks as “constructive but difficult.” Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said that territorial issues remain the “core topic” of current negotiations, along with several other unresolved issues.

Russia has repeatedly emphasized that a “sustainable political solution” can only be achieved if certain preconditions are met. These include Ukraine withdrawing from the Donbas region it currently controls—where a referendum was held in 2022 and which declared accession to Russia; Ukraine’s commitment to not join NATO; and acceptance of demands such as “demilitarization” and “denazification.”

Russia also demands that Ukraine recognize the “new borders,” including Crimea. Ukrainian President Zelensky has repeatedly stated that he will not make concessions on territorial issues.

The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted nearly four years. Despite efforts by U.S. President Trump to end what he called a “senseless bloodshed,” the positions of Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key issues, including territorial sovereignty and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Ukrainian officials previously criticized Mintsukov’s performance in negotiations, accusing him of “lecturing history” rather than engaging in substantive discussions.

(Source: Caixin)