The second day of peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Geneva ended abruptly on Wednesday morning after just two hours of discussions, according to Time.
The shortened session followed an initial six-hour meeting the previous day, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had already described as “difficult”. Ahead of Wednesday’s talks, Zelensky accused Moscow of deliberately slowing progress.
“We can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage,” he said, adding that he had instructed Ukraine’s delegation “to do everything possible so that the negotiations are nonetheless productive and increase the chances for peaceful solutions.”
After the meeting concluded, Zelensky reportedly told journalists via WhatsApp that while some headway had been achieved, major differences remained.
“We can see that progress has been made, but for now, positions differ because the negotiations were difficult,” he said.
Rustem Umerov, who heads the Ukrainian delegation, described the discussions as “intensive and substantive”. He said both political and military tracks were addressed, including security parameters and mechanisms for implementing potential decisions.
“A number of issues were clarified, while others remained under additional coordination,” Umerov stated.
Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, echoed the cautious tone, calling the talks “difficult, but businesslike”. He added that a further round of negotiations would take place soon, though no date was announced.
via Time, Reuters
