The first trilateral negotiations since February are focused on security guarantees and possible steps toward de-escalation, but fighting continues on both sides
Thunder Bay ON — International News Service – Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States opened two days of talks Tuesday, renewing diplomatic efforts to end the war as it approaches its fifth year.
The meeting is a material step beyond preparations announced earlier this month. It is the first trilateral session since February, when three earlier rounds produced prisoner exchanges but no visible progress toward a ceasefire or political settlement.
Security guarantees are at the centre of the discussions. Ukraine wants firm protection against another Russian invasion. Moscow has long treated NATO’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe as a threat and is expected to seek changes to the continent’s broader security arrangements.
Ukraine also plans to propose de-escalation measures and discuss preparations for a future meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would seek commitments on postwar recovery as well.
European and NATO officials are not participating in the main trilateral negotiations. However, the Ukrainian delegation began the day with separate consultations involving U.S. envoys and representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission. Russia has resisted direct European participation at this stage.
The talks opened without a pause in combat. Ukraine said Russia launched 162 drones and one ballistic missile overnight. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted 155 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and occupied Crimea. Neither claim could be independently confirmed immediately.
Previous negotiations offer reason for caution. The conflict remains largely deadlocked along a roughly 1,200-kilometre front, while both countries have expanded long-range attacks. Russia has intensified strikes against Ukraine’s power network as winter approaches, and Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities.
