Russia’s Kirill Dmitriev is set to meet US officials in Geneva this week as Ukraine and Washington hold critical talks over the ongoing conflict, amid plans for a postponed trilateral summit and ongoing disputes over territory and the pace of peace negotiations.
Bilateral talks set for Geneva this Wednesday
A bilateral meeting between Ukraine and the US over conflict resolution is scheduled to take place in Geneva this Wednesday. Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s presidential special representative for investment and economic co-operation with foreign states, is also expected to participate in discussions with the American delegation.
The planned trilateral summit, including Russia, Ukraine, and the US, is slated for early March. However, reports suggest the venue may shift from Switzerland to the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly indicated he may attempt to disrupt the next stage of talks.
Dmitriev is due to arrive in Geneva on Thursday. He is scheduled to meet US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Swiss authorities confirmed the meeting but stressed that they will not participate in the negotiations, serving only as hosts.
Trump and Zelensky hold 1st post-Davos call
The day before, Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump for half an hour by phone. “We discussed issues that our representatives will address tomorrow in Geneva at the bilateral meeting, as well as preparations for the next full-team meeting in a trilateral format in early March. We hope this will pave the way for leader-level negotiations,” Zelensky stated.
In the call, Trump expressed a desire to end the conflict within a month. Ukrainian officials and other sources familiar with the conversation reported that while Trump seeks a speedy peace deal, significant disagreements remain between Ukraine and Russia, particularly over territorial issues.
Sources noted that this 30-minute phone call was the first conversation between Trump and Zelensky since their meeting in Davos in late January. The exchange was described as very cordial and positive. Zelensky expressed hope that the war would end this year, while Trump commented that the conflict has lasted too long and voiced a wish for it to conclude within a month.
Bodies of fallen soldiers exchanged
In a related development, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed an exchange of bodies between Russia and Ukraine. “Ukraine has returned the bodies of 1,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers,” Medinsky wrote on his Telegram channel. In return, Kyiv handed over the bodies of 35 Russian servicemen.
