MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) – The trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the USA could enter the next round in the coming days. The Russian state agency Tass reported this, citing an unnamed informant in Moscow. Accordingly, the negotiators could meet in Geneva for a fourth round of talks as early as February 26th. There was initially no confirmation of this from Kyiv and Washington. February 24th marks the fourth anniversary of the Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin ordered invasion of the neighboring country.
After two meetings in Abu Dhabi in January and early February, representatives from Moscow, Kiev and Washington met in Geneva in mid-February. Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky then described the talks as “difficult but objective”.
So far, no agreement on an end to the war is in sight in the negotiations because Russia does not see its maximum demands being met. Moscow is demanding that Kiev withdraw its troops from those parts of Donbass that remain under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj categorically rejects this – and even in the event of a referendum sees no chance that the Ukrainian population would agree to giving up territory./cha/DP/zb