Ukrainian officials head to Geneva for another round of talks with Russia amid war

Kyiv [Ukraine], February 16 (ANI): Ukrainian officials on Monday left for Geneva, Switzerland, where another round of negotiations is set to take place with Russia aimed at ending the war, which is set to complete its fourth year this month following Moscow's invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine's Chief of Staff, Kyrylo Budanov, confirmed the development in a Telegram post, saying the delegation is heading to Geneva for new diplomatic engagements.
"On the way to Geneva. The next round of negotiations is ahead. Along the way, we will discuss the lessons of our history with our colleagues and seek the right conclusions. Ukraine's interests must be protected," Budanov stated in his post.
The upcoming talks are part of ongoing international efforts, mediated by the US, to find a negotiated settlement to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
According to Al Jazeera, the Geneva discussions follow two rounds of negotiations brokered by the US, held in the United Arab Emirates in January and early February.
The most recent meeting was the first publicly acknowledged direct engagement between Moscow and Kyiv regarding a proposal from the Trump administration to end the conflict.
Although both sides characterised the talks as constructive, they did not yield any significant breakthrough, according to Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said he spoke with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and expected the Geneva trilateral meeting to be "truly productive".
"We also discussed some developments following the meetings in Abu Dhabi. Not everything can be shared over the phone, and our negotiating team will present Ukraine's position next week. I also spoke about our meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Budanov, a former Ukrainian military intelligence chief, was appointed as the new chief of staff amid the crucial peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in early January.
Announcing the decision on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs a sharper focus on security, defence preparedness and negotiations as efforts continue to end the conflict.
"Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of the President will primarily serve the fulfilment of these tasks of our state," Zelenskyy stated in his post. (ANI)