The first Geneva round of the trilateral Ukrainian peace talks has ended, and some preliminary remarks can be made. The talks lasted most of the day on Tuesday but only two hours on Wednesday, suggesting that all that could be achieved was and that a general or local dead end had been reached on one or more issues, requiring a reset, one presumably facilitated by reports the delegation heads will make back to their respective leaders. AFP, citing an unidentified source close to Russia’s delegation, reported that the first round of talks in Geneva on 17 February was “very tense” (www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/news/2026/02/18/7231429/). Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing even less identified sources, tweeted that the first day’s taks “got stck” because of “positions” staked out “by Medinskiy.”
Barak Ravid@BarakRavid
🇺🇦🇷🇺🇺🇸Two sources with knowledge told me negotiations in the political group in Geneva got “stuck” today. The sources said the reason was the positions presented by the new Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky
10:36 PM · Feb 17, 2026
The positions however, were not specified by the journalist. Despite this alleged hurdle, the talks continued for a second day, and, as we shall see, Medinskii held a closed format meeting with the Ukrainians. Perhaps, this was prompted by the logjam on the 17th?
The summaries delivered to the press by the delegation heads separately and verbally after the second round in Geneva on the 18th revealed little. The fact that no joint appearance before the press occurred upon the close of the talks indicates that the talks brought no breakthrough as could be expected and indeed were extremely difficult. …………………….
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About the Author –
Gordon M. Hahn, Ph.D., is an Expert Analyst at Corr Analytics, www.canalyt.com. Websites: Russian and Eurasian Politics, gordonhahn.com and gordonhahn.academia.edu
Dr. Hahn is the author of the new book: Russian Tselostnost’: Wholeness in Russian Thought, Culture, History, and Politics (Europe Books, 2022). He has authored five previous, well-received books: The Russian Dilemma: Security, Vigilance, and Relations with the West from Ivan III to Putin (McFarland, 2021); Ukraine Over the Edge: Russia, the West, and the “New Cold War” (McFarland, 2018); The Caucasus Emirate Mujahedin: Global Jihadism in Russia’s North Caucasus and Beyond (McFarland, 2014), Russia’s Islamic Threat (Yale University Press, 2007), and Russia’s Revolution From Above: Reform, Transition and Revolution in the Fall of the Soviet Communist Regime, 1985-2000 (Transaction, 2002). He also has published numerous think tank reports, academic articles, analyses, and commentaries in both English and Russian language media.
Dr. Hahn taught at Boston, American, Stanford, San Jose State, and San Francisco State Universities and as a Fulbright Scholar at Saint Petersburg State University, Russia and was a senior associate and visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Kennan Institute in Washington DC, the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group.