Steve Witkoff, a special representative of the U.S. President, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, have departed from Miami to Geneva. Their trip is aimed at participating in a new round of trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, as well as discussions concerning nuclear agreements with Iran.
Barak Ravid, a journalist from Axios, reported on social media that the officials are in Geneva to engage in critical discussions regarding both the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and nuclear negotiations with Iran.
According to Flightradar24, two business jets associated with Witkoff and Kushner took off from Miami, indicating their travel plans. Meanwhile, Rustem Umerov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed that the Ukrainian team has already arrived in Geneva. The upcoming trilateral talks are scheduled for February 17-18.
Context of the Peace Talks
In December 2025, a Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in discussions with U.S. representatives in Berlin regarding a comprehensive 20-point peace plan aimed at resolving the conflict. Umerov characterized the talks as productive, noting that some progress had been made.
On December 24, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, stated that the discussions had centered around four key documents. He indicated that Washington is attempting to gauge how far Moscow is willing to go to end its aggression.
Subsequently, on December 28, Zelenskyy met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where they reportedly reached a 90% agreement on the peace plan and a full agreement on security guarantees. Following this, they held a joint call with European leaders to discuss further meetings aimed at finalizing these documents.
While Russia has been briefed on the proposed documents for ending the war, it has not provided clear consent.
On January 23-24, trilateral negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi, focusing on the war’s conclusion and the process for peace agreements. Umerov emphasized that the goal of these talks is to advance toward a just and lasting peace. A White House representative described the meeting as productive.
Zelenskyy has previously highlighted that key issues remain concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with the Ukrainian delegation awaiting specific responses from Russia regarding the war’s conclusion.
On February 4-5, further negotiations occurred in Abu Dhabi, where delegations from Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia discussed methods for implementing a ceasefire and monitoring the cessation of hostilities.
On February 13, it was announced that the next round of negotiations among the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia would take place in Geneva on February 17-18. Ukrainian presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn confirmed this during a conversation with the media, a statement that was previously echoed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
On February 14, Umerov mentioned that the Geneva talks might address the possibility of an energy ceasefire.
On February 15, Zelenskyy reported on consultations he had with Witkoff and Kushner prior to the Geneva meeting.
U.S. officials are traveling to Geneva for crucial trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and discussions on Iran's nuclear program. The upcoming talks are part of ongoing efforts to address the conflict in Ukraine and explore potential peace agreements.
Source: Axios