KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� A Ukrainian delegation was heading to Geneva on Monday for another round of with Russian officials, ahead of next week鈥檚 fourth anniversary of of its neighbor.
There was no anticipation of any significant progress on ending the war at the Tuesday-Wednesday meeting in Switzerland as both sides appear to be sticking to their negotiating positions on key issues, despite the United States setting a to reach a settlement. The future of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies or still covets is a central issue.
Ukrainian defenders remain locked in a war of attrition with Russia鈥檚 bigger army along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) . Ukrainian civilians endure Russian aerial barrages that repeatedly and , while Ukraine has developed and strike oil refineries and arms depots.
The governor of western Russia鈥檚 Bryansk region said Monday that air defenses had shot down 229 Ukrainian drones in the previous 24 hours. No other Russian region has come under as many simultaneous drone attacks in a single day, Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.
Ukraine鈥檚 Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 62 long-range strike drones and six missiles of various types at Ukraine overnight.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the talks in Geneva will deal with a 鈥渂roader range of issues related to the territories and other issues connected to the demands that we have.鈥� He didn鈥檛 elaborate on the issues.
A year of peace efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration has failed to stop the fighting. Trump, as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida on Monday evening, told reporters the Russia-Ukraine negotiations on Tuesday in Geneva are going to 鈥渂ig talks.鈥� He added, 鈥淯kraine better come to the table fast.鈥�
Western officials and analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Ukraine will peter out and that Ukraine鈥檚 resistance will eventually collapse under pressure.
Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy鈥檚 chief of staff, posted a photograph on Telegram showing himself standing next to a train with other members of the negotiating team, which is due to be led in Geneva by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine鈥檚 National Security and Defense Council chief.
Entering or leaving Ukraine entails a long overland journey, even for VIPs, as the country鈥檚 airspace is closed because of the war.
Putin鈥檚 adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow鈥檚 team of negotiators in the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022 and who has forcefully pushed Putin鈥檚 war goals, is returning to lead Moscow鈥檚 delegation. Medinsky has written several history books that focus on exposing purported Western plots against Russia and denigrate Ukraine.
Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russian military intelligence, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, along with other officials, will also be in the delegation, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said.
Putin鈥檚 envoy Kirill Dmitriev will also travel to Geneva for separate talks with the U.S. on economic cooperation, according to Peskov. Moscow and Kyiv are keen to offer future business opportunities to Washington.
It was not clear which American officials would be in Geneva. At , the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Trump administration was represented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations were to report back to their leaders before any possible compromises discussed in Geneva could be accepted.
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