Russia and Ukraine to Hold Additional Talks in Geneva Next Week

US-Brokered Talks to Resume on Donbas Conflict

A new round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian envoys, facilitated by the United States, is set to take place in Geneva next week. The trilateral negotiations, which follow two previous rounds in Abu Dhabi, aim to address the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The talks are scheduled for February 17-18, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, has also confirmed the event.

The Donbas industrial heartland remains a key point of contention between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow is pushing for Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region it still controls, while Ukraine seeks Western security guarantees to deter potential Russian aggression.

In a statement last week, US President Donald Trump announced that the warring parties had until June to reach a deal. However, previous ultimatums by Trump have not resulted in a breakthrough.

The talks will be led by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, and Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council chief Rustem Umerov, among others. The negotiations are expected to focus on military issues, including the possibility of a buffer zone and ceasefire monitoring.

Meanwhile, fighting continues along the 1,250-kilometre front line, with both sides accusing each other of launching attacks. In recent days, Russian forces have carried out air strikes in eastern Ukraine, killing civilians, while Ukrainian forces have launched long-range attacks on war-related targets.

The conflict has resulted in significant human losses, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Source: Al Jazeera