Ukrainian President Zelenskyy holds talks with Trump on potential peace efforts

US and Ukrainian Envoys Meet in Geneva

A meeting between US and Ukrainian envoys took place in Geneva on Thursday, following a phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the previous night.

The call, which lasted half an hour, was joined by US envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. The discussion covered issues to be addressed during the upcoming meeting, as well as preparations for a trilateral discussion with Russian officials in early March.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that he expects this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to a leaders’ level, which would be necessary to resolve complex and sensitive issues. He also mentioned that the goal of the meeting is to discuss details of a possible post-war recovery plan for Ukraine and preparations for the upcoming trilateral meeting with Moscow officials.

Russia’s economic affairs envoy Kirill Dmitriev will also meet US negotiators in Geneva on Thursday, according to an unnamed diplomatic source. The meeting aims to address economic issues between the two countries.

The talks are part of a renewed peace push spearheaded by Trump, which has yet to produce a breakthrough in ending the four-year war between Ukraine and Russia. The conflict has resulted in significant human losses and security concerns in Europe.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that discussions during the meeting will include a “prosperity package” and that the US wants to find a way to end the conflict as soon as possible. However, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart in their positions on key issues such as territory and security guarantees.

The World Bank has estimated that rebuilding Ukraine’s economy will cost approximately $588 billion. Since starting direct talks with Russia in January, the two countries have appeared deadlocked on major issues of territory and security guarantees.

Source: Al Jazeera