Peace talks in Geneva ended after just two hours, with Ukraine’s president accusing Russia of deliberately stalling and criticising US pressure for concessions.
GENEVA: Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia ended abruptly on Wednesday after only two hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of deliberately seeking to delay progress.
“Yesterday’s meetings were indeed difficult, and we can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage,” Zelenskiy wrote on social media. The talks in Switzerland were mediated by the United States.
A Ukrainian official confirmed the Geneva discussions had concluded. Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told reporters further negotiations would be held soon without specifying a date.
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Zelenskiy also criticised recent public comments from US President Donald Trump. In an interview, he said it was “not fair” Trump kept calling on Ukraine, not Russia, to make concessions.
“Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you,” Trump had told reporters on Monday. Zelenskiy expressed hope this was merely a tactic and not a final decision.
The Ukrainian leader stated any peace plan requiring Ukraine to give up territory beyond what Russia captured in the Donbas would be rejected by its people. The talks focused on practical issues and the mechanics of possible decisions, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation.
However, Russian news agencies quoted a source describing Tuesday’s discussions as “very tense”. Those talks reportedly lasted six hours across different bilateral and trilateral formats.
The Geneva meeting follows two previous rounds of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi that also concluded without a major breakthrough. The sides remain far apart on key issues like control of territory in eastern Ukraine.
Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas. Its recent airstrikes on energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands without heating and power during winter.
Ukrainian government bonds fell as much as 1.9 cents on the dollar in European morning trade on reports of stalled progress. The talks came just days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
The Sun Malaysia
