Ukrainian and United States officials met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss post-war reconstruction efforts, even as negotiations with Russia remain deadlocked and fighting continues across Ukraine.
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Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said participants briefed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the meeting, which came hours after renewed Russian strikes targeted critical infrastructure.
Zelenskyy, who recently spoke with US President Donald Trump, said a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia is likely to take place in Abu Dhabi in early March. The talks are expected to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between Ukrainian and Russian leaders.
Reconstruction has emerged as a central component of broader US-led diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict, now entering its fifth year. Kyiv hopes to secure approximately $800 billion in public and private investment over the next decade to rebuild infrastructure and revive the economy devastated by war. A recent World Bank assessment estimated reconstruction costs at about $588 billion based on damage recorded between February 2022 and the end of 2025.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner participated in the Geneva discussions, while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev also held separate meetings with US officials. No breakthrough was reported following earlier rounds of negotiations, with territorial disputes remaining the main obstacle.
In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said the planned trilateral format could help resolve key issues, including security guarantees and preparations for leader-level talks.
Meanwhile, hostilities continued on the ground. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 420 drones and 39 missiles overnight, damaging energy infrastructure across multiple regions and injuring dozens of civilians. Kyiv accused Moscow of intensifying attacks on power facilities in recent months, causing widespread blackouts.
Russia has denied deliberately targeting civilians, although thousands have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022. Ukrainian forces have also conducted strikes on Russian energy assets, including oil depots and refineries.
Russian troops continue to make gradual advances along parts of the 1,200-kilometre front line, particularly in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, while disputes over territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain among the most difficult issues in negotiations.
Diplomatic pressure is also increasing on Moscow, with reports indicating the United States has slowed the sale of overseas assets belonging to Russian oil giant Lukoil as part of broader leverage in peace discussions.
