Senior Ukrainian and Russian officials are to meet this week in Switzerland for a second round of talks brokered by the Trump administration, days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite renewed US efforts to revive diplomacy, hopes for any sudden breakthrough remain low, with Russia continuing to press maximalist demands on Ukraine. Ahead of the Geneva meeting, Zelenskyy made clear Ukraine was unwilling to give up territory in the Donbas – a key Kremlin demand. There were no expectations in Kyiv that the latest round of trilateral talks would led to a political breakthrough. Haran recognised Trump and Putin were putting “huge pressure” on Zelenskyy to hold a poll over the next few months.

Source: The Guardian February 16, 2026 14:26 UTC