Kremlin's Medinsky to Lead Russian Delegation in Upcoming Geneva Talks

Overview of the Upcoming Peace Talks

MOSCOW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine will move to Geneva next week and Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday.

Russian news agencies quoted him as saying the talks would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. They follow two rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi at which Russia's team was led by Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence.

A Ukrainian presidential aide confirmed to journalists that Kyiv's delegation was preparing for talks in Geneva.

Background on Previous Negotiations

The return of Medinsky, who led the Russian team at earlier talks in Turkey in 2022 and again last year, could signal that Russia expects the focus to move beyond security issues to broader points of disagreement between the warring sides.

Nearly four years into the war, and despite intensive efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to end what he calls a senseless "bloodbath", Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key issues including territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Criticism of Medinsky's Approach

Ukrainian sources have previously criticised Medinsky's handling of the talks, accusing him of delivering history lessons to the Ukrainian team instead of engaging in substantive negotiation.

(Reporting by Reuters in Moscow and Yuliia Dysa in Kyiv; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Philippa Fletcher)