MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. The territorial issue remains unresolved following the latest round of the Geneva talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine; the first meeting of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump, will approve the allocation of five billion dollars for Gaza’s reconstruction; and Israel is accused of seeking to annex the West Bank. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
The latest round of talks on the Ukrainian settlement has concluded in Geneva. Although representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the US did not elaborate on the results of the two-day negotiations, it is clear that progress has been achieved. A new round of talks lies ahead. Unlike the discussions in Abu Dhabi, which covered only military and technical issues, this time the talks also addressed political ones. However, the most sensitive issues, such as territorial concessions, remain unresolved.
"The talks were held behind closed doors and were difficult, as the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said, but they were effective. The next round should take place ‘soon’, which means that work is ongoing and, undoubtedly, progress is being made. It is not an easy process. The fact that it is continuing indicates steady progress toward peace," Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, told Izvestia.
