Russia-Ukraine Talks End Without Breakthrough Amid Divergent Views
High-stakes peace talks mediated by the United States between Russia and Ukraine concluded with starkly divergent assessments from the involved parties. While a US source described 'incremental but significant progress' on military issues like potential ceasefire mechanisms, European officials and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russia of employing 'delay tactics' and showing 'no tangible signs' of serious engagement. The Kremlin's lead negotiator characterized the discussions as 'difficult, but business-like,' even as Moscow reportedly held firm to its maximalist territorial demands, leaving the talks without a decisive breakthrough and plans for further negotiations. In a separate but equally significant legal proceeding, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Los Angeles courtroom as part of a landmark trial. The case centers on allegations that Meta and other social media giants deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive for children and young adults. Zuckerberg defended his company's practices while facing grieving parents who blame the platforms for harm caused to their children, marking a critical moment in the escalating scrutiny of Big Tech's societal impact. The news landscape on February 19th, 2026, was thus dominated by these two major, unrelated stories: the fragile diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and a pivotal legal challenge confronting the technology industry over its responsibility to young users. Both events underscore significant international tensions, one geopolitical and the other centering on corporate accountability.
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Sources
After the main talks concluded, Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky returned to the venue and held a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian side for about an hour and a half. No details from that meeting have emerged. Some progress was made on "military issues", including the location of the ...
Live updates: Trump administration news, US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral talks and DHS funding negotiations | CNN Politics
Military officials participating in trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and Russia and the US made “incremental but significant progress” in determining how a ceasefire would work, a source familiar with the talks told CNN on Wednesday, including finalizing key terms and explanations to ...
Russia-Ukraine talks live: ‘Difficult’ negotiations end, more planned | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera
The United States-mediated talks between officials from Russia and Ukraine in Geneva have ended, with Moscow describing them as “difficult, but business-like” and Kyiv calling them substantive and saying there was progress.
US President Donald Trump has recently ... ensure talks in Switzerland are successful, without mentioning Russia. The Kremlin has not wavered from its maximalist demands for Ukrainian territory. "President Trump's success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress, and we are ...
Ukraine has repeatedly called for stronger U.S. pressure on Russia and concrete security guarantees to end the war. | Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images ... KYIV — Despite the efforts of American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Moscow, Kyiv and Washington concluded another round of talks in Geneva with scant progress ...
Mark Zuckerberg testifies in L.A. trial over social media addiction - Los Angeles Times
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg arrives Wednesday at Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he was called to testify in a trial over claims that his company and other social media giants deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive to children. ... Staff Writer Follow Feb. 18, 2026 Updated 2:33 PM PT ... Copy Link URL Copied! ... This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. The CEO ...
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces grieving parents as he testifies in social media trial
Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his social media companies Wednesday as he testified in a landmark trial, which will determine whether online platforms are designed to be addictive to children and young adults.
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