Ukraine and Russia, under U.S. mediation, began their third cease-fire talks on the 17th local time.
According to foreign media including AFP and Reuters, the United States, Ukraine, and Russia are holding the three-way talks in Geneva, Switzerland, over two days through the 18th. The cease-fire talks began in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from the 23rd to the 24th last month, and this is the third round.
From the U.S. side, President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his eldest son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are attending. From the Russian and Ukrainian sides, senior military leadership from each country is attending to discuss territorial issues and a cease-fire plan.
Ukraine and Russia take particularly opposing positions on territorial issues. Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over the eastern Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts). Ukraine, by contrast, says it cannot back down on territorial matters. The talks are also expected to discuss an economic cooperation plan worth $12 trillion (about 1,760 trillion won) that Russia proposed to the United States.
The United States set June as the deadline for the talks. President Trump told reporters aboard his plane the previous day, "It would be good for Ukraine to quickly come to the (negotiating) table." The United States will hold the midterm presidential elections in November.