Zelenskyy says Ukraine expects another round of negotiations before end of February

• Kremlin says Russian delegation to report outcome of Geneva talks to Putin 'at first opportunity'

MOSCOW

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he expects the new round of talks with Russia to take place before the end of February.

In a video statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy described the outcomes of the trilateral negotiations in Geneva on the military track as "substantive" but noted that political issues are still "not sufficiently worked out."

"We are counting on the next meeting, and it would be right to hold it in February. It is important that Europeans are present—France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and also Switzerland as the host country," he said.

Earlier in the day, he said he held a meeting with Ukraine's team via video link before the start of Wednesday's talks in Geneva.

"Yesterday, there were various meeting formats: both bilateral - between Ukraine and America - and multilateral formats," he said.

According to Zelenskyy, negotiations took place between Ukrainian, American, and Russian representatives in two areas—military and military-political issues.

He also noted that the Ukrainian delegation, together with the American team, met with European representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

"We consider Europe's participation in the process to be critically necessary for the further successful implementation of entirely possible agreements: Ukraine has no doubt that the partners can ensure the constructive nature of the negotiation process and, consequently, a worthy result," he said.

Zelenskyy added that the humanitarian direction will be discussed today, including steps for exchanging prisoners of war and releasing civilians.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that members of the Russian delegation at the Geneva negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement will report the outcome to President Vladimir Putin "at the first opportunity."

Peskov urged reporters at a press briefing in Moscow to be patient and wait for the delegation's return.

"They will report to the president immediately at the first opportunity," he said. "Wait, our delegation has not yet arrived. Once they arrive, they will report to the president, of course."

Asked whether a location for the next round of negotiations had been determined, he replied, "No, nothing can be said yet."

Peskov added that the shorter duration of Wednesday's talks in Geneva compared to the first day of discussions does not indicate a lack of progress.

When asked how constructive the Ukrainian delegation's stance had been during the settlement negotiations, Peskov replied, "I can't say. We're waiting for information."

He also noted that it is too early to assess the US role in the process.