Zelensky Hopes for Serious, Substantive Talks with U.S., Russia

Munich: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his anticipation for meaningful discussions in the upcoming peace talks with Russia and the United States scheduled to occur in Geneva. Zelensky made these remarks during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Zelensky emphasized his hope that the trilateral meetings would be beneficial for all parties involved. He noted that in previous negotiations, the United States has often focused on discussing concessions in the context of Ukraine rather than Russia. Zelensky highlighted this as a point of concern during his address.

In January and February, two rounds of security working group discussions took place in Abu Dhabi, involving representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. While Ukraine and Russia managed to agree on a large-scale prisoner exchange, they were unable to reach significant agreements on key issues such as territorial arrangements and establishing a ceasefire.

The upcoming talks in Geneva are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Russian delegation led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, as stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, announced on Facebook that the Ukrainian delegation has been assembled, including military, political, and security elements for the negotiations.