Witkoff announces visit to Geneva on Thursday, incl meeting with Umerov

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Stephen Witkoff announced a meeting with the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov in Geneva soon.

He stated this online at the YES meeting organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on February 24, 2026.

Witkoff said he planned to travel to Geneva with Jared Kushner on Thursday, noting that they would fly out on Wednesday night. He explained that the main purpose of the trip was a meeting with Iranian representatives, as they were attempting to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. He added that he had spoken with Rustem Umerov – with whom he said he was in contact almost daily – and had asked him to seek President Zelenskyy's permission for a meeting in Geneva.

According to Witkoff, after that meeting he can visit the United States, but their first priority would be talks with Umerov in Geneva.

He said the goal of those discussions was to continue the conversation and explore possible options for reaching a peace agreement.

On February 24, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Yalta European Strategy held a special YES Meeting on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event brought together leading political leaders, government officials, military personnel, experts, and parliamentarians from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States for a frank conversation about the state of the war in Ukraine, the prospects for its end, and Ukraine's place in Europe's future security architecture.