Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 13 that Russia, the US and Ukraine will hold a new round of peace talks in a trilateral format in Switzerland on February 17 and 18. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Peskov said the Russian delegation will be led by Presidential Assistant Vladimir Medinsky, who has participated in several rounds of negotiations before.
Mr. Peskov did not specify the agenda related to Ukraine. He said Moscow wants to continue discussing economic cooperation with the US, but emphasized that all agreements depend on progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
The most recent trilateral round of negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Russian delegation was led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of military intelligence, and was attended by defense officials. The US side sent special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Ukrainian delegation was headed by Mr. Rustem Umerov, head of the national security agency.
Mr. Peskov described the discussions in Abu Dhabi as constructive but difficult. Russian Presidential Assistant Yury Ushakov said that territorial issues are still the main question in the negotiation process, and said that many other contents have not been resolved.
Moscow affirms that a sustainable agreement can only be reached if Ukraine withdraws from the still-controlled areas in Donbass, which voted to join Russia in 2022, commits not to join NATO and accepts demilitarization as well as "defascistization". Russia also requests Kiev to recognize new borders, including Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the possibility of territorial concessions. The upcoming developments in Switzerland are seen as the next step in efforts to find a solution to the prolonged conflict.
