Russia, Ukraine, U.S. hold second day of talks as territorial issues take center stage
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States will meet on Saturday for the second day of negotiations on a plan being pushed by US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war.
The first known direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian officials on the proposal began Friday. Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said the discussions focused “on the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process.”
Both sides say the fate of territory in the eastern Donbas region is one of the main outstanding issues in the search for a settlement to a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Just hours before the three-way talks began, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks. The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the meeting as “productive and meaningful.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington, Trump said the meeting went well, adding that both Putin and Zelenskyy want to reach a deal and that “everyone’s making concessions” to try to end the war.
He said the sticking points remain the same as they’ve been during talks held during the past six or seven months, noting “boundaries” was a key issue. “The main hold-up is the same things that’s been holding it up for the last year,” he said.
