Russian and Ukrainian delegations concluded the first day of US-brokered peace talks in Geneva, just one week before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said discussions would resume in the Swiss city this morning. Hopes for a breakthrough during the latest third round of trilateral talks are low, as the Kremlin has not wavered from its maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory.

Just hours before the delegations met in Geneva, Russia carried out a large combined aerial attack on Ukraine, hitting 12 regions with 400 drones and almost 30 missiles. At least three people were killed, Ukrainian officials said. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defences had repelled more than 150 drones, while an oil refinery caught on fire after a Ukrainian drone strike.

In a statement on social media last evening, Umerov, Ukraine’s top security official, said the talks focused on practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions. He added that he would brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the outcome. Meanwhile, Russia’s state news agency said that yesterday’s negotiations, which lasted six hours, had been tense and took place in different bilateral and trilateral formats.

The talks are being mediated by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky is the top negotiator. Both Ukraine and Russia also had senior military figures in their teams.