The first day of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, has concluded without any significant progress, while both sides continue to carry out reciprocal attacks.
Foreign news agencies reported that the delegations from Russia and Ukraine ended the first day of peace talks organized by the United States in Geneva on Tuesday, 17 Feb 2026 GMT+7, about one week before the fourth anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian delegation, said the talks will continue in the Swiss city on Wednesday morning, focusing on "practical issues and mechanisms for possible solutions."
However, the likelihood of any major breakthrough remains low, as the Russian government refuses to compromise on its territorial demands concerning Ukrainian land under Russian control.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine continue nightly, causing further damage to the country's already heavily damaged power grid amid freezing temperatures.
Just hours before the delegations met in Geneva, Russia launched a massive combined air assault on Ukraine, striking 12 regions with 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles. Ukrainian officials reported at least three fatalities.
Russia also claimed its air defense systems intercepted over 150 Ukrainian drones, though a refinery caught fire after being hit by a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to halt attacks as previously proposed by the United States to both Kyiv and Moscow. "We do not want war," he said, emphasizing that Ukrainians are "defending their state and their freedom."
"We are ready to move toward a valuable agreement to end the war quickly. The question is only what Russia wants," he added.
Meanwhile, Russian state news agency RIA cited sources saying Tuesday's six-hour talks were tense and conducted in both bilateral and trilateral formats.
The talks involved Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the U.S. president, acting as mediators. Russia's delegation was led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, with both Ukraine and Russia including senior military officials in their teams.
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Source:bbc