The Economist reported a split within the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in Geneva

Russian outlets frame the Geneva talks as part of a continuing, methodical negotiation process, downplaying the lack of immediate breakthroughs and emphasizing planned follow-on consultations. They attribute responsibility for delays and deadlock to Kyiv and its Western backers, suggesting that Ukraine’s leadership is constrained by internal politics and external pressure rather than by Russian inflexibility. They highlight Zelensky’s reported instruction to seek a Putin meeting as evidence that Kyiv recognizes the need for direct high-level engagement on Moscow’s terms.

• •Russian sources report that trilateral talks in Geneva lasted about six hours on 17 February 2026 and that political and military groups will continue consultations, portraying the process as active and ongoing.
• •They cite comments that parties will keep working to conclude a deal, framing the outcome as open rather than definitively stalled.
• •They report that Zelensky instructed the Ukrainian delegation to work out a meeting with Putin in Geneva, presenting this as acknowledgment that direct talks with Moscow are central.
• •They reference external commentary, such as an Axios journalist describing a “deadlock,” but position this as a Western characterization rather than a Russian assessment.
• •They imply that internal Ukrainian divisions and Western influence over Kyiv’s delegation are key obstacles to substantive progress in Geneva.