US-Ukraine Talks Scheduled Ahead of Trilateral Meeting with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukrainian negotiators will hold talks with American officials on Thursday at Geneva, Switzerland. The announcement of US-Ukraine talks has come ahead of another round of US-Ukraine-Russia talks expected to held nearly next month. In two rounds of talks so far, even as officials have noted progress, breakthrough has been elusive and frontline combat as well as airstrikes have continued. The Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov, who has served as the chief negotiator since November, will meet American delegation led by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the AFP reported Zelenskyy as saying. While Kushner does not hold any formal position in the administration, he has emerged as one of Trump’s top diplomats and has played a key role in negotiations related to the West Asia crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy said that the meeting was part of “preparations for a trilateral meeting with Russia, which we believe will take place in early March”. Zelenskyy further said that US-Ukraine talks will have prisoner-of-war exchanges and a “prosperity package” for the reconstruction of Ukraine on the agenda. Without going into the specifics, Witkoff had confirmed talks earlier this week and said the aim was to “explore different iterations about how we might get to a peace deal”. Even as the Trump administration has mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine, a deal has remained elusive as Vladimir Putin has stuck to maximalist demands. Earlier this month, the Kremlin said that the war would continue until Ukraine accepts all Russian demands. Then, on the fourth anniversary of the war, the Kremlin repeated that the war shall continue as the main goal of the war has not been achieved yet. Russia has demanded that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region, including parts not under Russian control, among a host of other demands that would essentially mean the end of Ukraine’s sovereignty. While Zelenskyy has rejected blanket territorial surrenders, he has shown flexibility about a land swap in exchange of firm security guarantees that end the war and deter future Russian aggression. Prime Minister Modi visits Israel to discuss deepening ties, with trade, defence, and AI on the agenda, and will address the Knesset. Israeli PM Netanyahu has proposed a "hexagon of alliances" including India, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and other states to counter "radical" adversaries. Pakistan condemned the proposed alliance, calling it a threat to regional stability and Muslim unity, and is wary of India's potential participation. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.