The first day of United States brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended in Geneva on Tuesday, with negotiations set to resume on Wednesday amid low expectations of a breakthrough.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who is leading Kyiv’s delegation, said the discussions would continue in the Swiss city on Wednesday morning.
The latest round marks the third trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States, coming just a week ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. However, hopes remain limited as Moscow has maintained its hardline demands over Ukrainian territory.
Even as talks were underway, fighting continued on the ground. Russian forces carried out large scale overnight attacks across Ukraine, further straining the country’s already damaged power grid as freezing winter temperatures persist.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched around 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles, striking 12 regions and killing at least three people. Russia, meanwhile, claimed its air defence systems intercepted more than 150 Ukrainian drones, while a drone strike caused a fire at an oil refinery inside Russian territory.
In a post on social media, Umerov said Tuesday’s discussions focused on “practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions.” He added that he would brief President Volodymyr Zelensky on the outcome of the talks.
In a video address later, Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from strikes if an earlier US proposal for mutual restraint was implemented. He stressed that Ukraine seeks peace but will continue defending its sovereignty.
“We are ready to move quickly towards a worthy agreement to end the war,” Zelensky said, adding that the key question now lies with Russia.
Russia’s state media quoted sources as saying the six hour talks were tense and were held in a mix of bilateral and trilateral formats. The negotiations are being mediated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky is leading the delegation. Senior military officials from both countries are also part of the talks.
Ahead of the meeting, US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to move quickly towards negotiations, signalling growing impatience over the prolonged conflict.
Russia currently occupies around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including large parts of the eastern Donbas region. Moscow has demanded control over the remaining parts of the region, a condition Kyiv has firmly rejected. Ukraine has repeatedly said any settlement must include strong security guarantees from Western allies, including the United States.
In Kyiv, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhiha condemned the latest Russian strikes, saying they demonstrated Moscow’s disregard for peace efforts. Ukrainian officials said at least three energy workers were killed near the frontline city of Slovyansk, while several others, including children, were injured elsewhere.
Ukraine said damage to homes, railways and energy infrastructure left thousands without electricity, particularly in the southern port city of Odesa. Energy company DTEK said the destruction to power facilities was severe and repairs would take a long time.
Ukraine is facing a deepening energy crisis after months of sustained Russian attacks on critical infrastructure during winter.
At the same time, Ukraine launched drone strikes into Russia, with officials reporting a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region and further damage in the border region of Belgorod region.
The Geneva talks follow last month’s meeting in Abu Dhabi, the first trilateral talks since the invasion began in February 2022. That round ended without a breakthrough, though it led to the first prisoner exchanges in months.
With inputs from BBC