Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The ensuing conflict has resulted in a tidal wave of destruction that has left entire cities in ruins, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians dead and forced millions of people to flee their homes.
Hours before talks began, Russia fired 126 attack drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force.
BREAKTHROUGH HOPES LOW
For the Geneva talks, the Kremlin reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator.
Ukrainian national security secretary Rustem Umerov is leading Kyiv’s side.
Trump put pressure on Ukraine on Monday to make a deal, saying they “better come to the table, fast”.
But Zelensky told Axios on Tuesday it was “not fair” that Ukraine – and not Russia – was facing more pressure, adding that lasting peace would not be achieved if “victory” was just handed to Moscow.
“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader said late Tuesday he was ready to move “quickly” towards a deal but questioned whether Russia was serious about peace.
Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine – including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 – and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken prior to the 2022 invasion.
Ukraine says handing Russia more territory will effectively “reward” Russia for invading and embolden it to attack again.
Russian drone and artillery attacks overnight and late Tuesday wounded at least one person and caused damage to buildings, according to Ukrainian regional authorities.
Russia has been slowly seizing territory across the sprawling front line for months, claiming control of villages in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and northern Sumy region on Wednesday.
But its wartime economic worries are mounting, with growth stagnating and a ballooning budget deficit as sanction-hit oil revenues drop to a five-year low.