Zelensky accuses Russians of ‘dragging out’ peace talks in Geneva as second day ends without progress

The second day of trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Geneva ended early on Wednesday afternoon without any significant breakthrough, according to independent news agency Interfax Ukraine.

Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security Council, led Kyiv’s negotiating team, facing off against senior Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky, whose selection to lead the Russian delegation for this round of talks was seen by some as a delaying tactic.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the political component of the talks had been somewhat productive, he added that there had been little progress on military matters, citing significant differences of opinion that some sources have blamed on Medinsky.

“Yesterday’s meetings were indeed difficult, and we can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Having left the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva after the talks officially ended on Wednesday, Medinsky returned to the venue and spoke with the Ukrainian delegation for a further hour and a half, according to BBC News Russian. When subsequently asked for comment, Medinsky said that the talks had been “difficult, but business-like”.

Having bemoaned excessive pressure for Ukrainian concessions from the US side on Tuesday, Zelensky praised the increased involvement of Ukraine’s European partners in the peace process in Geneva, stressing that for Kyiv the presence of Europe was “indispensable for the successful implementation of entirely feasible agreements”.