Geneva meeting: why the composition of the Russian delegation arouses skepticism

A new round of talks between representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia is scheduled for February 17 and 18 in Geneva. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov confirmed the start of preparations for the Ukrainian group, which includes Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Hnatov, David Arakhamia, and other security experts.

Military commentator Denys Popovych commented on the personnel decisions of the parties on the air of “Pryamoy”, drawing attention to the significant difference in the professional level of the participants.

“When I heard about Medinsky, I had no expectations. Medinsky’s figures are just a reduction in the value and level of the negotiating teams from the Russian Federation and evidence that they are currently moving away from the negotiating track and want to rely on a military solution to the issue again,” Popovich noted.

According to the analyst, the presence of the Russian leader’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, indicates Moscow’s unwillingness to engage in substantive dialogue. While the Ukrainian side has fielded informed officials capable of making decisions, the 15-person Russian delegation may focus on historical parallels instead of real steps towards peace. Popovich suggests that the opponent will talk about the ability to wage war forever, recalling the events of the Middle Ages.

We will remind, on February 17-18, the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place in Geneva. The Ukrainian delegation has already begun preparations for this meeting. It also became known that two diplomatic rounds of negotiations are to be held in Geneva at once – on Ukraine and Iran. The US delegation will include envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

As is known, in early February in Abu Dhabi, Ukraine, the United States and Russia held another round of talks on the settlement of the war. The parties have made some progress on procedural issues, but key differences remain . The most controversial issue in the negotiations remains control over the entire Donetsk region, on which the parties have not yet reached an agreed solution.

At the same time, Western media often fall victim to disinformation through statements by Ukrainian politicians, which creates a false impression of the real state of affairs in the country. Investment banker Serhiy Fursa expressed the opinion on the air of “Pryamoy” that the current talks about a diplomatic settlement of the conflict have the features of a theatrical production, as the parties are trying to demonstrate loyalty to the American administration.

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