The latest round of talks between envoys from Moscow and Kiev, brokered by the United States (US), on establishing peace in Ukraine ended in Geneva today without progress, with both sides saying the negotiations were "difficult", the Associated Press (AP) agency reports.
After the end of the second consecutive day of trilateral Ukrainian-Russian-American talks on ending the war in Ukraine, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the negotiations were "difficult but constructive".
"The negotiations on resolving the Ukrainian crisis in Geneva have ended. They were difficult, but constructive," Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters, according to the Tass news agency.
He said that the next meeting to resolve the situation would be held soon.
The negotiations were held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva, which is a traditional venue for international meetings.
Similar words were heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke briefly by phone with his negotiating team after the talks concluded.
"The negotiations were not easy," Zelensky said after the talks concluded and after a brief phone call with his negotiating team.
He previously accused Russia of stalling negotiations while continuing its invasion.
Zelensky added that some progress had been made on military issues, although political differences remained deep, including over the future of territory in eastern Ukraine occupied by the Russian military and which Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to keep.
Zelensky described the military talks as "constructive" and added that the armed forces of both countries were considering how any future ceasefire could be monitored.
"The monitoring will definitely be carried out with the participation of the American side," Zelensky said in a voice message via Vocap, the AP reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that it was "too early" to talk about the outcome of the talks and that Putin was just receiving reports on progress in Geneva.
Both sides have stated that a new round of negotiations will take place.
The third round of direct talks behind closed doors between delegations from Russia, Ukraine and US mediators began yesterday in Geneva. Yesterday, the talks lasted about six hours, on the second day the negotiations lasted about two hours, and the Russian delegation left the meeting place, Tass reported.
Previously, Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on the X network today that consultations are being held in working groups on military and political topics, and that work is being done to clarify the parameters and mechanisms of decisions that were discussed the day before.
The previous two rounds of talks earlier this year were held in Abu Dhabi, and officials described them as constructive but without achieving a breakthrough.
On the American side, the negotiations are being led by US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Witkoff previously wrote on social media that Washington's efforts to promote peace in Ukraine over the past year have brought significant progress. He did not provide details, and fighting in Ukraine continues.
As reported by the AP, Russian President Vladimir Putin's main goals remain the same as they were when the invasion began on February 24, 2022: Ukraine should abandon its NATO accession, significantly reduce its military, and protect the Russian language and culture to keep the country in Russia's orbit, as well as withdraw from four areas that Moscow has occupied but not fully under its control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will not hand over territory to Russia.
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