Photo: facebook.com/zelenskyy.official
Ukraine’s president said after receiving a briefing on the Geneva talks that opportunities for a dignified end to the war still exist, adding that a new prisoner exchange deal could be reached in the coming days.
He noted that global pressure on the aggressor could significantly help bring a reliable peace. Zelenskyy also thanked Ukrainian negotiators for their patience in discussions with the Russian side, which he described as “far from always simple or adequate,” and stressed that representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump are likewise working to keep the negotiations constructive, with Ukraine fully supporting that approach.
According to him, there has been constructive progress on the military track, including recognition by participants that the United States would play the primary role in monitoring a ceasefire if one is reached.
On the humanitarian track, Zelenskyy said it is too early to speak of clear positive results, but there is movement toward determining the timing and scale of a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in the near future.
He emphasized that negotiators failed to reach agreement on territorial issues, including Donbas.
The president added that a new trilateral meeting is expected within ten days, most likely again in Geneva. He said answers to the most difficult questions ahead of that meeting are already prepared and that priorities for the negotiating team have been defined, stressing that a leaders-level format could prove decisive and that Ukraine is ready for such talks.
The third round of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia took place in Geneva on February 17–18. Positions remain far apart, particularly on territorial matters: Moscow seeks control of the entire Donetsk region, while Kyiv insists any talks must be based on an unconditional ceasefire and the current line of contact.
