Geneva talks were difficult, with progress only on military track – Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)
After two days of talks in Geneva involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia on a possible peace settlement, the main progress focused on military issues, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, according to Interfax-Ukraine on Feb. 18.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said some groundwork had also been laid on the political track, but there has so far been no progress comparable to that on the military component, and the sides’ positions remain different.
“As for the political component, these are all sensitive issues you know about: the east, the plant [the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant]. There will also be a broader briefing upon our return. We see that there is some groundwork, but for now the positions differ, because the talks were not easy,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
He said the Ukrainian side will contact European colleagues after the delegation reports back upon returning to Ukraine.
“I am glad to see broader [European] involvement this time. Europe’s presence is very important to us,” the Ukrainian president stressed.
Talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia ended in Geneva on Feb. 18 after beginning a day earlier. The delegations were expected to discuss humanitarian and security issues, including territorial disputes.
As Axios noted, the talks “hit a dead end” because of Russia’s position. By contrast, U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meetings “led to significant progress.”
Zelenskyy previously said that the trilateral talks resulted in a decision on monitoring a ceasefire in Ukraine, which would take place with the participation of the United States.
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