US, Ukraine to hold talks in Geneva Feb. 26, Trump envoy says
U.S. and Ukrainian officials will hold another round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland on Feb. 26, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an online address at the Yalta European Strategy conference Feb. 24.
The meeting follows the latest round of negotiations among Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. held in Geneva on Feb. 17–18, which ended without a breakthrough on territorial issues or a ceasefire.
Witkoff said he and Jared Kushner (U.S. President Trump's son-in-law and co-leader of the American delegation) would travel to Geneva on Feb. 26 to hold talks with Iran, according to the news outlet Interfax Ukraine. While in Geneva, Witkoff also plans to meet with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary.
Witkoff said he spoke with Umerov over the phone to seek permission for the meeting from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Witkoff and Umerov communicate via telephone on a near-daily basis, the envoy said.
The goal is to continue the conversation initiated by recent negotiations and explore ways of reaching a peace agreement, Witkoff said.
Following the meeting in Geneva, Umerov may come to the U.S. for another round of talks, Witkoff added.
Witkoff also said that he and Trump believe there should be a trilateral meeting among Zelensky, Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issues of territory and security guarantees, though he acknowledged that the negotiations had not yet advanced to that stage.
Previously, Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov said that a new round of U.S.-mediated talks between Ukraine and Russia could be held in Geneva on Feb. 26–27.
"Around Feb. 27, give or take a day or two. That means Feb. 26 falls within that time frame," Budanov said. "We are in the process of preparing. This is a matter of protocol. All three parties, or rather four parties, because there is a host, must agree."
The Kremlin did not confirm the timeline for the talks.
