Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded after just two hours on Thursday, February 19, 2026 – a stark contrast to the six-hour sessions held the previous day. The talks, aimed at finding a path to end the ongoing conflict, were described as “hard” by both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s chief negotiator, former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky. The brevity of this round of talks, and the lack of concrete progress, underscores the challenges facing diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
Details regarding the substance of the discussions remained scarce, a common practice in high-stakes diplomatic encounters. Zelenskyy broke the silence, but, suggesting Russia may be deliberately stalling progress toward a resolution. The two days of U.S.-mediated negotiations in Switzerland occurred amid repeated calls from former U.S. President Donald Trump for Ukraine and Zelenskyy to ensure the success of the talks.
“We can observe that there was progress, but for now, positions diverge because the negotiations were difficult,” Zelenskyy said immediately following the conclusion of the conversations.
Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, stated that the second day of talks had been “intense, and substantial.” He indicated that both sides were working to formulate proposals to present to their respective presidents. Umerov noted on Tuesday that the first day of negotiations focused on “practical issues and the mechanics of possible decisions,” without elaborating further. Russian news agencies, however, cited a source claiming Tuesday’s negotiations were “very tense” and lasted six hours in various bilateral and trilateral formats.
Medinsky, a figure the Ukrainian side has expressed serious reservations about, indicated that further rounds of negotiations would be held soon, though he did not specify a date or location.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have been seeking greater involvement from Kyiv’s European allies in the peace process. Zelenskyy has emphasized the importance of European support, and major European nations – including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – have demonstrated strong backing for Ukraine’s position and a growing willingness to participate directly in negotiations. Representatives from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy were present in Geneva during the two days, but there were no reports of their direct involvement in the discussions or any statements made regarding their role.
