Russia says it was not informed of Geneva talks; strikes Kharkiv amid ongoing peace efforts
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Russia says it was not informed of Geneva talks; strikes Kharkiv amid ongoing peace efforts")
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Ukraine's Presidential Office Chief of staff Andriy Yermak hold a press conference following their closed-door talks on a US plan to end the war in Ukraine at the US Mission in Geneva, on November 23, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
The talks in Geneva were taking place amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, as Trump accused the Ukrainian president of showing ingratitude.
Russia on Monday (24 Nov) said it was not informed about the outcome of talks in Geneva to end the almost four-year-long war in Europe. On Sunday, Ukrainian, American and European officials had deliberations in Switzerland on President Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan to draw up a final roadmap to put forth to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which killed thousands of people and displaced millions.
"We did not receive any information," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, while adding it was aware "adjustments" were made to a US plan to end the conflict with Kyiv that Moscow had welcomed.
Amid the ongoing peace talks, Moscow upped the ante after, four people were killed and 17 others injured, including two children, in a massive overnight strike by Russia on Kharkiv, the country's second largest city.
According to a statement issued by the Mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, on Monday, the overnight barrage hit three districts -- Shevchenkivskyi, Saltivskyi and Kholodnohirskyi -- leaving widespread destruction.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed "important steps" after talks in Geneva with the US, but said more work is needed to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
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"These are important steps, but to achieve real peace, more, more is needed," Zelensky said, addressing a press conference in Sweden through video link.
"In the steps we have coordinated with the side of the US, we've managed to keep extremely sensitive points."
The points included "the full release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war under the all-for-all formula and civilians, and the complete return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia."
The talks in Geneva were taking place amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, as Trump accused the Ukrainian president of showing ingratitude. At the same time, Ukraine criticised the US president’s peace plan as a concession to Moscow’s long-standing demands.
However, a joint statement released following the talks signalled that both sides have reached a common ground on many points, as it described the deliberations as "highly productive."
“They reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace,” the statement read. “As a result of the discussions, the parties drafted an updated and refined peace framework.”
The statement added that “Ukraine and the United States agreed to continue intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days.”
