Geneva, Switzerland. Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia gathered in Geneva on Tuesday for two days of U.S.-mediated peace talks focused on territorial issues, as U.S. President Donald Trump urged Kyiv to move quickly toward a deal.
Talks follow overnight strikes and renewed calls for pressure
Ahead of the talks, Russia carried out heavy airstrikes overnight across parts of Ukraine, inflicting severe damage on the power network in the southern port city of Odesa, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He said the strikes left tens of thousands without heat and water.
Zelenskiy called for Kyiv’s allies to increase pressure on Russia to reach what he described as a “real and just” peace deal through tougher sanctions and weapons supplies to Ukraine.
Trump urges Ukraine to act quickly
Trump said he expected progress from the Geneva talks, which follow a morning of negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials at a different venue in the Swiss lakeside city.
“Well, we have big talks,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It’s going to be very easy. I mean, look, so far, Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you.”
Trump has pressed Moscow and Kyiv to reach a deal to end what he described as Europe’s biggest war since 1945, while Zelenskiy has said Ukraine is facing the greatest pressure to make concessions.
Territorial demands remain central
Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture, a condition Kyiv refuses.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the talks were intended to cover a broader range of issues, including territories and other demands Russia has put forward.
Venue shifts from Abu Dhabi to Geneva
The venue moved to Geneva after Abu Dhabi hosted two rounds of talks that both sides described as constructive but which did not produce a major breakthrough.
What do you think will be the main obstacle to progress in the Geneva talks?