Second day of Ukraine talks/ Witkoff says significant progress has been made

2026-02-18 08:21:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said talks between Ukraine and Russia had brought significant progress towards ending the war, as both sides prepared for a second day of negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday.

"President Trump's success in uniting both sides of this war has brought significant progress, and we are proud to work under his leadership to stop the killing in this horrific conflict," Witkoff wrote in X.

Hopes for progress during the talks are slim, as the Kremlin has not wavered from its maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory.

US President Donald Trump recently suggested that it is up to Ukraine to ensure that the talks in Switzerland are successful, without mentioning Russia.

Zelensky has repeatedly said that his country is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.

Russia occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine, including large parts of the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to hand over the rest of the region, which Ukraine has ruled out.

Ukraine says strong security guarantees from the West - including the US - must come before any deal with Russia can be reached.

Zelensky told the website Axios on Tuesday that it was "not fair" for Trump to continue calling on Ukraine to broker a deal, adding that lasting peace would not be achieved if "victory" was simply given to Russia.

"I hope it's just his tactics and not his decision," Zelensky said.

In a statement on social media on Tuesday evening, Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said the first day of talks focused on "practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions."

In his video address shortly afterwards, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to refrain from carrying out attacks, as the US proposed to both Kiev and Moscow./CNA, translated by BBC