Zelensky Appeals to Trump for Personal Meeting Hours Before Geneva Summit

A phone call between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump dominated diplomatic preparations for key negotiations between the United States and the Russian Federation. According to official statements, the American president supported the sequence of actions presented publicly by Kyiv, which envisions a meeting of negotiators in early March as a prelude to a leaders' summit. From the Ukrainian perspective, this mechanism is intended to be a necessary prelude to top-level talks. „Solo così mettiamo fine alla guerra. I colloqui salgano a livello di leader.” (Only in this way do we end the war. The talks must rise to the level of leaders.) — The authorities in Kyiv unequivocally aim for the direct inclusion of major power leaders to finally break the diplomatic deadlock and work out hard security guarantees before considering any lasting truce. Swiss Geneva has played the role of a traditional ground for historic agreements between Washington and Moscow since the beginnings of the Cold War. It was in this city in 1985 that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev historically met, and in the summer of 2021, Joe Biden spoke here with Vladimir Putin shortly before a radical escalation of tensions that led to the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine. Negotiation Offensive Timeline: 26 February 2026 — Talks between US and Russian delegations in Geneva; March 2026 — Planned trilateral meeting with Ukraine Meanwhile, Moscow has already sent its trusted envoy to the planned talks with representatives of the American administration on Swiss soil. Although rumors circulating in the corridors of the Western press endlessly list gigantic economic profits and unofficial communication channels, the Kremlin itself hastily denied information suggesting an imminent visit and direct conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Distrust towards any concessions to the Russian regime remains unshaken also among Ukrainian elites. Clear resistance was formulated by the mayor of Kyiv, firmly rejecting the possibility of compromises. „Kann mit Kannibalen nicht über Speisekarte reden.” (One cannot discuss the menu with cannibals.) — The international community confirmed solidarity through the UN General Assembly, which yesterday voted for a decisive resolution calling for an immediate cessation of shelling. In parallel, European capitals are intensifying their own diplomatic-operational efforts. The governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Denmark have intensified support for the Ukrainian defense sector through funding production and creating joint arms ventures on European soil. This decision will effectively simplify the production of advanced ammunition beyond the reach of Moscow's aviation. Meanwhile, in France, President Emmanuel Macron outlined the upcoming programmatic address touching on the rigors of nuclear deterrence, raising this step to a new level of concern about the stability of America's defensive shield. The Polish debate, in turn, was dominated by the speech of Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty in Kyiv. The Marshal declared full support for Ukraine's membership in the European Union, emphasizing that this integration is crucial for regional security. At the end of an exhausting political day, President Zelensky paid tribute to allies declared to be sending further waves of funding, which builds resistance on the front line.