Ukraine's Zelenskyy says ‘more readiness’ for next trilateral meeting, as Geneva talks conclude

U.S.-mediated talks on the Russia–Ukraine war concluded in Geneva on Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the outcome as showing “more readiness” for further trilateral diplomacy covering security, economic and political elements of a potential settlement.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said preparations are continuing for the next phase of negotiations, which is likely to be held in Abu Dhabi, though the schedule has not been confirmed. He said he had spoken with Ukrainian and American representatives as the Geneva meetings were concluding.

"There is more readiness for the next trilateral meeting. Most likely the next meeting will be in the Emirates, in Abu-Dhabi. We expect the gathering to happen at the beginning of March to finalise everything," he said. 

“I spoke with President (Donald) Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff @SEPeaceMissions and @JaredKushner, following the outcomes of their meetings with Rustem Umerov and David Arakhamia today. We are grateful to @POTUS for his personal efforts to end this war," Zelenskyy added.

He stressed that major decisions regarding Russia are typically taken at leadership level because of what he described as the highly centralised structure of Russia’s political system.

Zelenskyy also said sustained global pressure is necessary to help end the war, suggesting that limiting Russian energy exports and restricting Moscow’s access to global financial systems could help create conditions for a negotiated settlement.

"War has to come to an end – this is our position, this is the position of Ukraine, this is the position of all our partners but unfortunately everyone sees now that there is no readiness from the Russian side now and there is no evidence for now that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is halting his war machine. On the contrary he is preparing to further pursue war and the world has to be ready to put pressure on Russia for this to change,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said the Geneva discussions were conducted through direct U.S.–Ukraine meetings and a broader session involving Swiss and American officials. The talks focused on security arrangements, post-war economic recovery and possible frameworks for future negotiations, including reconstruction investment plans and long-term international financing.

Umerov said the aim is to make the future trilateral format involving the United States and Russia more substantive by completing security, economic and diplomatic components. After the meetings, Ukrainian and U.S. representatives held a call with Zelenskyy to review the outcomes and outline next diplomatic steps, with particular focus on recovery planning and attracting international investment.

Background and unresolved issues

Earlier U.S.-mediated negotiations were held in Abu Dhabi on 23–24 January and 4–5 February, followed by another round in Geneva on 17–18 February. None of the previous meetings produced agreement on core territorial or security issues.

Key differences remain over security guarantees for Ukraine, the future status of the Donbas region and proposals concerning possible international or multinational forces in a post-war arrangement. Kyiv has rejected territorial concessions, while Moscow is reported to seek stronger control over parts of eastern Ukraine.

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The Geneva meeting was part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, though officials acknowledged that achieving a comprehensive settlement would be difficult given the deep divisions between the negotiating sides.

Ukrainian officials thanked Switzerland for hosting the talks and the U.S. negotiating team for its engagement. The talks followed U.S.-mediated trilateral discussions with Russia last week, which were described as intensive and businesslike but ended without an agreement.

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