Lead Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov is set to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday, Kyiv announced, ahead of new trilateral talks with Russia expected in early March.
The meeting is part of negotiations led by US President Donald Trump, which have so far failed to deliver significant progress toward ending the Kremlin’s four-year war in Ukraine.
“Tomorrow he will meet with American negotiators Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters, noting that the talks are preparation for a trilateral session with Russia anticipated in early March.
Umerov’s adviser confirmed the Geneva venue, which earlier this month hosted discussions among Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials.
On the agenda are prisoner-of-war exchanges and a “prosperity package” aimed at Ukraine’s reconstruction, Zelenskyy said.
Witkoff earlier acknowledged the talks, saying the goal was to “explore different iterations” of a possible peace deal.
The United States has been pressing for an end to the conflict, now in its fifth year, which has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over territorial settlements. Russia insists on full control of the eastern Donetsk region and has threatened to seize it by force if Ukraine refuses to concede. Kyiv has rejected the demand, stressing it will not sign any agreement without firm security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression.
