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Zelensky Rebukes Trump as Geneva Talks Stall Over Territorial Demands

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  • The talks between Russia and Ukraine in Switzerland are being mediated by Steve Witkoff.
    The talks between Russia and Ukraine in Switzerland are being mediated by Steve Witkoff.
    Image: BBC
    The talks between Russia and Ukraine in Switzerland are being mediated by Steve Witkoff. (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
    In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
    Image: Newsweek
    In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Source Full size
  • President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
    President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. Source Full size
  • President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
    President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump greets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. Source Full size
  • In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
    In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
    Image: Newsweek
    In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a soldier looks out of a shelter near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Source Full size

Zelensky Condemns Trump’s Pressure on Peace Terms In a Feb 17 Axios interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky called President Donald Trump’s public urging for Ukrainian concessions “not fair,” warning that any cession of the undisputed Donbas would be rejected in a national referendum and stressing that Trump’s pressure differs from that of U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner [1][2][3].

Third Geneva Round Ends Without Breakthrough The U.S.-brokered third Geneva session on Feb 18 lasted only two hours, concluded without an agreement, and was led by Witkoff, Kushner, and Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, with both sides describing the talks as tense and inconclusive [1][3][4].

Territorial Stalemate Remains Core Obstacle Russia continues to demand full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, while Kyiv insists its constitution forbids ceding any land and proposes freezing the front lines at the current contact line for a future referendum; the United States has floated a limited Ukrainian withdrawal and a 15‑year security guarantee, which Kyiv deems insufficient [1][2][3][4].

Russia Intensifies Drone and Missile Strikes During Talks The night before the Geneva meeting Russia launched large‑scale missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, injuring nine, and on Feb 18 fired 126 drones and a ballistic missile; Russia later claimed to have shot down 43 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine reported intercepting roughly 100 of the 126 launched [1][3].

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant’s Status Heightens Urgency The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, seized by Russian forces in March 2022 and still under their control, remains a focal point of the negotiations, with experts warning of a potential nuclear disaster amid ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure [1][4].

U.S. Envoy Claims Meaningful Progress Amid Security Demands Special envoy Steve Witkoff declared that the first day of talks produced “meaningful progress,” praising Trump’s involvement, while Ukraine continues to demand robust Western security guarantees before any settlement, a point underscored by the U.S. proposal of a 15‑year guarantee that Kyiv finds inadequate [3][4].

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Timeline

Feb 2022 – Russia launches a full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, igniting the war that drives all subsequent diplomatic initiatives. [1]

2021 – The United States and Russia suspend regular senior‑level military‑to‑military contacts, a channel later restored to reduce miscalculation. [2]

Dec 4, 2025 – President Vladimir Putin vows to seize the Donbas “by military or other means” at a New Delhi summit; a Ukrainian delegation departs for Miami to discuss a U.S.‑brokered peace plan, and a U.S. envoy meets Putin in Moscow, while the Institute for the Study of War projects a full Donetsk capture only by August 2027. [25]

Dec 6‑7, 2025 – A massive combined strike hits Kremenchuk, killing civilians and cutting utilities; Zelensky reports a constructive phone call with Trump’s team after three days of Florida talks, and U.S.‑led Miami negotiations aim to draft a peace settlement, while President Putin rejects any post‑war peacekeeping force as a legitimate target. [24]

Dec 8, 2025 – Zelensky meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Macron and German Chancellor Merz in London, urging European backing and noting the U.S. peace plan now contains 20 points; President Trump claims Zelensky has not read the latest U.S. proposal, and the Netherlands pledges €700 million in military aid. [23][27]

Dec 11, 2025 – The United States proposes a free economic zone in parts of the eastern Donbas as a compromise for Ukrainian troop withdrawals, while Zelensky says updated peace documents remain under review and a Paris meeting is scheduled for the weekend. [22]

Dec 16, 2025 – Zelensky says Berlin‑negotiated draft proposals are “very workable” and could be finalized within days, outlining multinational security guarantees and a U.S.‑backed monitoring mechanism; Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov counters that the United States backs Russia’s claim to territories with ethnic Russian populations. [20][21]

Dec 19, 2025 – President Putin reports Russian forces advancing across Ukraine, reiterates Kremlin demands for recognition of four annexed regions and Crimea, and warns that NATO troops would be treated as legitimate targets if deployed in Ukraine. [19]

Dec 27, 2025 – Zelensky travels to Florida for a meeting with Trump, stating the 20‑point peace plan is 90 % complete and that Ukraine could withdraw from Donbas if it becomes a demilitarized zone monitored internationally; Russia describes the U.S. plan as “radically different,” and fresh Russian air strikes injure Kyiv residents. [16][15]

Dec 28, 2025 – Trump and Zelensky begin a closed‑door session at Mar‑a‑Lago, with Trump saying he had a “productive” call with Putin; Zelensky emphasizes that Russia does not want peace, proposes a Donbas free‑economic‑zone, and notes Russian control of roughly 75 % of Donetsk and almost all of Luhansk. [13][14]

Dec 29, 2025 – The United States offers Ukraine a 15‑year security guarantee as part of a broader peace plan, while Trump hosts Zelensky and declares the war “closer to an end”; both sides acknowledge progress but set no deadline, and Russia launches its longest‑range assault on Kyiv, killing civilians. [11][12][29][30]

Jan 3, 2026 – About 18 European security advisers gather in Kyiv, review all draft documents on security guarantees and an $800 billion reconstruction package, and prepare to move talks to European capitals, including a scheduled Paris meeting with Ukraine’s General Staff. [10][28]

Jan 6, 2026 – Allies in Paris report major progress on a multilayered security‑guarantee package that would give the United States a cease‑fire monitoring role and provide air, land and sea support to a reinforced Ukrainian army, while Russia maintains its demand for a comprehensive settlement before any ceasefire. [9]

Jan 8, 2026 – Russia rejects a Western proposal to deploy peacekeepers in Ukraine, labeling the coalition of willing nations an “axis of war” and warning that any such forces would become legitimate military targets. [8]

Jan 22, 2026 – Zelensky announces that trilateral talks with the United States and Russia will take place in the United Arab Emirates, stressing that Russia must be ready to compromise on the Donbas status and noting U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s optimism about resolving the final sticking point. [5]

Jan 23, 2026 – The first three‑way meeting of Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators convenes in Abu Dhabi, with President Trump pressuring both sides for a deal, Zelensky describing the talks as a step toward ending the war, and the Kremlin insisting that any durable peace hinges on territorial resolutions. [3][4]

Feb 5, 2026 – Senior U.S. and Russian officers resume regular senior‑level military‑to‑military dialogue on the margins of Abu Dhabi talks, aiming to extend the expiring New START treaty that limits strategic nuclear arsenals and to reduce the risk of a legal vacuum. [2]

Feb 18, 2026 – U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff declares “meaningful progress” on the second day of Geneva negotiations, praising President Trump’s role, while Ukraine demands robust security guarantees and Russia maintains maximalist territorial demands; both sides report heavy drone activity during the talks. [1]

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