Representatives from Ukraine and Russia are meeting in Geneva for a new round of US-brokered peace talks, with territorial control emerging as the main sticking point. The negotiations follow earlier sessions in Abu Dhabi and come just days before the fourth anniversary of Russia's 2022 invasion.
The Kremlin says discussions will focus heavily on land, particularly Russia's demand that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the Donetsk region it does not yet control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resisted such concessions, while US President Donald Trump is pushing both sides to reach a settlement to end Europe's largest war since 1945.
Russia currently occupies around 20% of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas seized before the full-scale invasion. Recent strikes on energy infrastructure have worsened humanitarian conditions during winter, with hundreds of thousands facing power and heating shortages.
The Russian delegation is led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, while Ukraine's team is headed by Rustem Umerov. Despite officials describing earlier talks as constructive, both sides remain divided not only over territory but also over issues such as control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the possible deployment of Western troops after any ceasefire...