Another unsuccessful round of peace talks.
The two-day trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, held in Geneva Tuesday and yesterday, have broken down in an abrupt fashion.
Swiss press says that ‘the maximalist visions of the Russian chief negotiator and the divisions within the Ukrainian camp contributed to the breakdown of the negotiations’.
But there is also reporting about a distancing between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Kiev’s delegation.
“[News outlets] note that the Russian delegation was seated to the right of Witkoff and Kushner, while the Ukrainians were on the left, and even ‘through’ a Swiss diplomat. The publication also points to the pressure that US President Donald Trump is exerting on Volodymyr Zelensky.
Head of the Russian delegation Vladimir #Medinsky on the outcomes of the tripartite talks in Geneva:
The talks continued for two days – yesterday & about two hours today.
They were difficult, but businesslike.
The next meeting will take place in the near future. pic.twitter.com/Ex0uWxta1Z
— MFA Russia
(@mfa_russia) February 18, 2026
Le Temps reported:
“The second day of negotiations in Geneva between Russia and Ukraine was abruptly cut short on Wednesday morning. Barely two hours after the start of the talks, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, announced via the Russian media that the negotiations were coming to an end.
Between Moscow’s maximalist positions, a rift within the Ukrainian camp and Washington’s haste, the conditions for US-sponsored talks to end the four-year-old war in Ukraine were far from being met.”
The military-level talks in Abu Dhabi reportedly ran more smoothly, but now sensitive political issues such as the protections for the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church were back on the table.
“A rift within the Ukrainian delegation would also have complicated the situation. According to The Economist, one camp, led by former Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, believes that a quick deal — even if imperfect — would be preferable before the window of opportunity closes. Another, still influenced by former chief of staff Andriy Yermak, is said to be much less conciliatory. Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly seeking to maintain the balance between these two lines, while being under external and internal pressure to organize elections, reports the British weekly.”
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