Russian and Ukrainian delegations are meeting in Geneva for another round of negotiations mediated by the United States, just days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Hopes for a major diplomatic breakthrough remain limited. Moscow has continued to insist on sweeping territorial concessions, while Kyiv has rejected any proposal that would formalize the loss of its land.
Fighting on the ground has shown no sign of easing. In the hours before talks began in Switzerland, Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault across 12 Ukrainian regions, deploying roughly 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles. At least three people were reported killed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the scale of the attack demonstrated Russia’s disregard for ongoing peace efforts.
Russian officials, meanwhile, stated that air defence systems intercepted more than 150 Ukrainian drones. Authorities also reported a fire at an oil refinery following a Ukrainian drone strike.
The negotiations are being facilitated by Steve Witkoff, special envoy to Donald Trump, and by Jared Kushner.
Ukraine’s delegation includes National Security Council secretary Rustem Umerov and presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov. Russia is represented by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and senior military intelligence officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed expectations, saying no immediate announcements should be anticipated and that discussions would extend into Wednesday.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump urged Ukraine to engage swiftly in negotiations, expressing frustration over the slow pace of progress in ending the four-year conflict.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including areas in the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin has pressed for Kyiv to relinquish additional territory—an option Ukraine has firmly ruled out. Ukrainian officials maintain that any agreement must include firm Western security guarantees.
The latest wave of strikes has further strained Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov, three energy workers were killed near the frontline city of Slovyansk during overnight attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky said nine others, including children, were injured nationwide. More than 10 residential buildings and sections of railway infrastructure were damaged.
Kyiv reported that 12 regions were affected, with severe disruptions in the southern city of Odesa leaving thousands without electricity. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, described the destruction to power facilities as “extremely serious,” warning that full restoration would take considerable time.
Ukraine is grappling with a deepening energy crisis after months of sustained Russian strikes, compounded by harsh winter conditions.
In response, Ukrainian forces carried out overnight drone attacks inside Russia. Officials said a blaze broke out at the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, with a fuel storage reservoir also ignited. The border region of Belgorod was targeted as well, sustaining damage to power infrastructure.
The Geneva meeting follows trilateral talks held last month in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine and the United States—the first such format since the invasion began. While those discussions produced no major diplomatic breakthrough, they were followed by a limited exchange of prisoners of war.
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