The U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that U.S.-led talks in Geneva between Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending the war in Ukraine have achieved “significant progress,” as both sides are set to begin a second day of negotiations.
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Witkoff wrote on the platform X that President Donald Trump’s success in bringing the two sides together “has led to significant progress,” adding, “We are proud to work under his leadership to stop the killing in this horrific conflict. Both sides have agreed to brief their respective leadership and continue working toward reaching an agreement.”
Talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States resumed Wednesday in Geneva, aiming to reach a solution that would end four years of war in Ukraine.
The negotiations are based on a U.S. plan announced months ago. A key point of contention remains whether Kyiv would make territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees.
Discussions have stalled in particular over the fate of the industrial Donbas basin in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region, a move Kyiv rejects.
The Geneva talks follow two previous rounds of negotiations held in Abu Dhabi, which failed to produce tangible progress.
Zelensky: Trump Applying “Unjustified Pressure”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, is exerting unjustified pressure on him in an attempt to reach a settlement to the nearly four-year war between Kyiv and Moscow.
In an interview with the U.S. news site Axios published Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that any plan requiring Ukraine to relinquish territory not currently seized by Russia in the eastern Donbas region would be rejected by Ukrainians if put to a referendum.
He described Trump’s repeated calls for Ukraine—rather than Russia—to make concessions as “unfair.”
According to Axios, Zelenskyy said in the phone interview, conducted as negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States were meeting in Geneva, “I hope this is just a tactic and not a decision.”
Trump has twice in recent days suggested that it is up to Ukraine and Zelenskyy to take steps to ensure the talks succeed. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, he said, “Ukraine has to come to the negotiating table quickly. That’s all I’m telling you.”
Zelenskyy told Axios that applying pressure on Ukraine may be easier than pressuring Russia. He again thanked Trump for his efforts to bring peace, noting that his discussions with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not involve the same level of pressure.
“We respect each other,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that he is “not the type” to surrender easily under pressure.
He added that responding to Russia’s demand to give up the entire Donbas region would be unacceptable to Ukrainian voters if they were asked to consider it in a referendum.
“Emotionally, Ukrainians would never forgive this. They would not forgive me, and they would not forgive the United States,” he said, adding that Ukrainians “cannot understand why” they would be asked to concede more land.
“This is part of our country… all these citizens, the flag, and the land.” – (Agencies)
