Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Geneva concluded quickly after just two hours.
The highly anticipated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, ended abruptly on February 18th after only two hours of work.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators concluded the second day of US-mediated talks on February 18, but neither side gave any indication that they were any closer to ending Europe's most serious conflict since World War II.
Notably, the negotiations concluded after just two hours, significantly shorter than the previous six-hour meeting on February 17th. Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky described the discussions as "difficult but working."
A Ukrainian official confirmed the meeting had concluded and said the previous day's work (February 17) focused only on "practical issues and mechanisms for feasible decisions" without going into detail.
Even as negotiations were still underway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to "prolong" talks that could have already reached their final stage.
This round of negotiations is taking place against the backdrop of continuous pressure from US President Donald Trump on Kyiv. Previously, Trump had told Ukraine that they "had better come to the negotiating table quickly."
In response, in an interview with Axios published on February 17, Zelensky argued that Trump's repeated public calls for concessions to Ukraine, not Russia, were "unfair."
"I hope that's just a tactic on his part and not his final decision," Zelensky said about Trump's actions.
Diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year-long war remain deadlocked on the key issue of territory.