Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine end

2026-02-18 17:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US aimed at ending the war between the two countries have ended without any progress. Although US envoy Steve Witkoff had expressed optimism about the talks, both the Russian and Ukrainian chief negotiators described them as "difficult."

After the main talks concluded, Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky held a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian side for about an hour and a half. While no official details have yet been released about the meeting, according to a Ukrainian diplomatic source, some progress was made on "military issues," including the location of the front line and monitoring the ceasefire.

But an agreement on the territorial issue, without which no ceasefire can be envisaged, remains elusive, with Moscow and Kiev's positions still far apart. Russia has not backed down from its demand for full control of the eastern Donbas region, made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Shortly before the end of the talks was announced, Zelensky accused Russia of trying to drag out negotiations that could have already reached the final stage.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations last met in U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi in January, which led to the first prisoner swap in months. On Wednesday, Zelensky hinted that another swap could happen soon.

Four years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there is still a significant gap between Moscow’s demands and what Kiev might consider a “just peace.” Kiev has long rejected Russia’s demand for eastern Donbass, which would have meant giving up sovereign Ukrainian territory, including several heavily fortified cities and a long defensive line in the Donetsk region.

Another sticking point in the talks is the status of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The plant — the largest in Europe — is on the front line and has been under Russian control since March 2022. Ukraine wants Moscow to return it, and Zelensky has previously said that Kiev could share control of the plant with the Americans — a deal that Moscow is unlikely to agree to.

Officials from Britain, France, Germany and Italy were present in Geneva and held talks with Ukrainians on the sidelines of the trilateral meeting. European representatives have struggled to get involved in the US-led negotiations, but Zelensky said European participation was essential for any final agreement.

Next Tuesday will mark the fourth anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war, which has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of people across Ukraine, continues to shape the lives of Ukrainians, with deadly daily airstrikes across the country. /CNA