Ukraine and Russia failed to reach an agreement on key issues to resolve the four-year conflict during US-mediated discussions in Geneva, as stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently. Zelensky emphasized that although some progress had been made, significant differences remained due to the challenging nature of the negotiations.
The fate of the occupied regions in eastern Ukraine and the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, under Russian control, were highlighted as critical unresolved matters by Zelensky. He accused Russia of prolonging the negotiations rather than swiftly advancing towards a final resolution.
Contrastingly, Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov acknowledged advancements in the talks with the United States and Russia regarding the conflict’s conclusion. Umerov mentioned that the focus was on addressing essential elements to finalize the peace process, stressing the need for consensus among all involved parties and adequate time for the intricate negotiations.
After a brief two-hour session, significantly shorter than the previous six-hour meeting, the talks concluded. While no specific details were disclosed by either side regarding the discussions or any agreements made, both indicated that the talks were challenging.
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky described the two-day negotiations as tough but productive, hinting at upcoming discussions in the near future. Medinsky assured that despite the complexities, the talks were conducted in a professional manner and expressed optimism for the forthcoming meeting.
Furthermore, Ukraine reportedly decreased its electricity imports by three percent, totaling around 311 gigawatt hours, in the previous week due to milder weather conditions, according to analysis from DixiGroup released on Tuesday.
