The first day of US-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Geneva on Tuesday, with negotiations set to resume Wednesday under muted expectations of progress.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, leading Kyiv’s delegation, confirmed discussions would continue Wednesday morning in the Swiss city. This marks the third trilateral round involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, arriving just a week before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Yet hopes remain slim as Moscow holds firm to its territorial demands.
Even as diplomats met, fighting raged on. Russian forces launched large-scale overnight strikes across Ukraine, battering the already fragile power grid amid freezing winter conditions. Ukrainian officials reported around 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles targeting 12 regions, killing at least three people. Russia claimed its air defences intercepted more than 150 Ukrainian drones, while a strike ignited a fire at an oil refinery inside Russian territory.
Umerov said Tuesday’s talks focused on “practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions,” adding he would brief President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a later address, Zelensky stressed Ukraine’s readiness to pursue peace if a US proposal for mutual restraint is enacted, but vowed to continue defending sovereignty. “We are ready to move quickly towards a worthy agreement to end the war,” he said, noting the decision now rests with Moscow.
Russian state media described the six-hour talks as tense, conducted in both bilateral and trilateral formats. The negotiations are mediated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with Vladimir Medinsky representing Moscow. Senior military officials from both sides also participated.
Ahead of the meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to accelerate negotiations, signalling impatience with the prolonged conflict. Russia currently occupies about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including much of Donbas, and demands control of the remainder—a condition Kyiv rejects. Ukraine insists any settlement must include firm security guarantees from Western allies.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhiha condemned Russia’s latest strikes, which killed three energy workers near Slovyansk and injured several others, including children. Damage to homes, railways, and power facilities left thousands without electricity, particularly in Odesa. Energy company DTEK warned repairs would be lengthy.
Ukraine also carried out drone strikes inside Russia, sparking a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar and damaging sites in Belgorod.
The Geneva talks follow last month’s meeting in Abu Dhabi, which ended without a breakthrough but produced the first prisoner exchanges in months.
