Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he has instructed his negotiation team to organize an upcoming meeting at the level of the leaders of Ukraine, the USA, and Russia in Geneva. He shared this on February 18 in an interview with Axios.
Zelensky emphasized that a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is the most effective way to achieve progress on territorial issues. In this regard, he instructed to prepare the necessary contacts for communication at the highest level.
According to the publication, American mediators proposed a resolution model under which the Ukrainian armed forces could withdraw their troops from certain areas of Donbas, and these territories would receive the status of a demilitarized "free economic zone." However, Washington has not yet determined which state will have sovereignty over these lands.
Zelensky expressed his readiness to discuss troop withdrawal but also urged Moscow to withdraw its forces to an equal distance and rejected any claims by Russia to sovereignty in this zone.
The Ukrainian president also reported that during the second round of negotiations, the Russian delegation promised to discuss the situation with the leadership in Moscow and provide a more detailed position on territorial issues.
On February 17, the delegations of Ukraine, the USA, and Russia completed the first day of negotiations in Geneva, covering political and military aspects. The work of the negotiation groups will continue on the morning of February 18, and statements will be made by the parties as a result.
