US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has stated that recent Ukraine-Russia negotiations have yielded “significant progress” toward ending the war, as both sides prepare for the second day of talks in Geneva, according to BBC.
“President Trump’s success in bringing both sides together has achieved meaningful progress, and we are proud to work under his leadership to stop the killings in this terrible conflict,” Witkoff wrote on X.
Despite the progress, expectations for an immediate agreement remain low. The Kremlin has maintained its maximalist territorial demands, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine is being asked to make disproportionate compromises compared to Russia.
Russia currently occupies 20% of Ukraine, including large parts of the eastern Donbas region, and demands control of additional territory—a request that Ukraine has rejected. Kyiv insists that strong security guarantees from the West, including the United States, must be provided before any agreement is reached.
President Donald Trump recently suggested that the success of the Geneva talks is now in Ukraine’s hands, without mentioning Russia directly.
