Kathrine Frich
Russian media claim Washington played a role
A new round of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv is set to take place in Switzerland, but the journey to the table has drawn attention even before discussions begin.
Russian media claim Washington played a role in ensuring the Kremlin’s delegation could travel through European airspace, despite ongoing restrictions on Russian flights.
Flight coordination
According to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the United States assisted in arranging the flight path for the Russian delegation to Geneva via European Union territory.
EU airspace remains largely closed to Russian aircraft following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The report suggests Washington helped coordinate transit for the delegation despite those restrictions.
Neither US nor EU officials have publicly confirmed the arrangement.
Geneva agenda
Talks are scheduled for February 17-18 in Geneva and are expected to focus on issues including a potential ceasefire in the energy sector.
The Russian delegation will be led by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and is expected to include around 20 representatives.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Geneva meeting would go beyond previous discussions held in Abu Dhabi.
“The negotiations in Geneva on resolving the conflict in Ukraine will cover a broader range of topics compared to the talks in Abu Dhabi. All major issues, including territorial ones, will be discussed there,” Peskov said, as quoted by TASS.
Ukrainian delegation
On the Ukrainian side, the delegation will be headed by Kyrylo Budanov, chief of military intelligence and head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office delegation for the talks.
The Ukrainian team is expected to include both military officials and political representatives.
It remains unclear whether the reported US involvement in facilitating the Russian flight will affect the diplomatic atmosphere surrounding the Geneva meeting.
Sources: RIA Novosti, TASS, WP.
