The second day of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with the United States acting as mediator, concluded with only slight progress and no breakthrough on territorial issues.
Foreign news agencies reported that the negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long war, concluded on Wednesday, 18 Feb 2026 GMT+7 without overcoming any deadlocks, despite some advances in military matters.
The trilateral talks held in Geneva ended after just two hours, whereas the first day's meeting on Tuesday extended late into the night.
Although U.S. representative Steve Witkoff expressed confidence in the negotiations, both the Russian chief negotiator and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the discussions as "difficult."
After the main talks ended, Vladimir Medinsky, the Kremlin's chief negotiator, returned to the venue for a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian side lasting about an hour and a half, with no details disclosed from this confidential session.
A source within Ukraine's diplomatic corps indicated some progress on "military issues," including setting front lines and verifying ceasefire compliance.
However, no agreement was reached on territorial matters, a crucial component for any ceasefire deal, as Russia and Ukraine maintain sharply opposing positions.
Russia refuses to concede on its demand for full control over the Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine firmly rejects this demand.
Despite acknowledging the difficulty of the talks, Vladimir Medinsky said the atmosphere was professional and that the next meeting would happen "soon."
President Zelensky described the negotiations as "not easy" due to the divergent stances of both parties.
However, Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s negotiating team, appeared more optimistic, stating the discussions were "substantive and intense," and although progress has been made, details cannot yet be disclosed "at this stage."
"This is a complex task requiring alignment among all parties and sufficient time," Umerov said.
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Source:bbc