Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has acknowledged advancements in security guarantees during peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, though she noted a lack of consensus on territorial issues. In an interview with Sky TG24 published on February 19, Meloni emphasized the importance of achieving a just peace, stating that violations of international law lead to chaos, which does not align with global interests.
Meloni remarked, “There is a peace plan that addresses many issues, but we are far from resolving the main question regarding the territories that Russia continues to claim, which I believe is entirely unjustified.” She highlighted that discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, modeled after Article 5 of the Atlantic Pact, have shown promising progress.
On February 17-18, Geneva hosted a trilateral round of negotiations involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict. Following the first day of talks, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov reported that delegations continued their discussions in smaller groups, focusing on practical matters and potential solutions.
On the same day, Umerov held a separate meeting in Geneva with representatives from the U.S., France, the UK, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland to review the outcomes of the initial discussions and align their approaches for subsequent steps.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff remarked on the “significant progress” made during the first day of negotiations, indicating that both sides agreed to update their leaders and continue working towards a peace agreement.
The second day of discussions on February 18 was described by Umerov as “intensive and substantive.” He noted that both political and military tracks were addressed, including security parameters and mechanisms for implementing potential agreements. Umerov stated that while some issues were clarified, others remain to be coordinated further, with the next step aimed at achieving a necessary consensus for presenting the developed solutions to the presidents.
Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky characterized the negotiations as “difficult but businesslike.” President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted that the talks had achieved a level of “constructiveness” regarding ceasefire monitoring, with U.S. involvement assured.
Umerov also announced that a new meeting would take place soon following the trilateral discussions in Geneva.
Previous negotiation efforts between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia included a December 14-15, 2025 meeting in Berlin, where Zelensky’s delegation discussed a 20-point peace plan. Umerov described the discussions as productive, with progress made.
On December 24, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker indicated that four documents were under discussion, aimed at understanding Moscow’s willingness to end its aggression. A subsequent meeting on December 28 between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump resulted in a near-complete agreement on the peace plan and security guarantees.
Russia reviewed the proposed documents but did not provide explicit consent. Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 focused on concluding the war and advancing peace negotiations, with Umerov reiterating the goal of achieving a dignified and lasting peace.
In further discussions on February 4-5 in Abu Dhabi, the delegations explored methods for implementing a ceasefire and monitoring combat cessation. On February 13, it was announced that the next round of negotiations would occur in Geneva on February 17-18, a detail confirmed by both Ukrainian and Kremlin spokespersons.
Prior to the Geneva talks, Umerov indicated that discussions might include an energy ceasefire, while Zelensky consulted with Trump representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reported progress in security guarantees during Ukraine peace talks but noted unresolved territorial disputes. Recent trilateral negotiations in Geneva involved discussions on practical solutions and mechanisms for a ceasefire.