UPS

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet for another round of peace talks in Geneva, as United States President Donald Trump pushes for an end to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.

The two-day talks, which begin on Tuesday, are likely to focus on the issue of territory and come just days before the fourth anniversary, on February 24, of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trump is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to reach a deal soon, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has complained that his country is facing the greatest pressure from Washington to make concessions.

Russia ⁠is demanding that Kyiv cede the remaining 20 percent of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture – something Kyiv refuses to do.

Trump again increased the pressure on Ukraine late on Monday.

When asked about the talks on board Air Force One, he described the negotiations as “big” and said, “Ukraine better come to the table, fast.” He did not elaborate further, saying, “That’s all I am telling you.”

The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. Those talks did not yield a breakthrough.

“This time, the idea is to discuss a broader range of issues, including, in fact, the main ones,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. “The main issues concern both the territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward,” he said.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said Russia was unwilling to compromise and wants to keep fighting.

“Even on the eve of the trilateral meetings in Geneva, the Russian army has no orders other than to continue striking Ukraine. This speaks volumes about how Russia regards the partners’ diplomatic efforts,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Monday.

“Only with sufficient pressure on Russia and clear security guarantees for Ukraine can this war realistically be brought to an end,” he added.

‘Serious’ intentions

The Russia-Ukraine war has spiralled into Europe’s deadliest conflict since 1945, with tens of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes and many Ukrainian cities, towns and villages devastated by the fighting.

Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swaths of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected the demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the West.

The Kremlin said the Russian delegation would be led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin.

However, the fact that Ukrainian negotiators have accused Medinsky in the past of lecturing them about history as an excuse for Russia’s invasion ⁠has further lowered expectations for any significant breakthrough in Geneva.

Military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov will also take part in the talks, while Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will be part of a separate ⁠working group on economic issues.

Vladmir Sotnikov, a political scientist based in Moscow, said the Russian team will consist of about 20 people, many more than delegations in previous rounds of talks.

“I think the Russian intentions are serious. Because you know, the situation here in Russia is that ordinary people are just tired of this war,” he told Al Jazeera.

Kyiv’s delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov. Senior presidential aide Serhiy Kyslytsya will ‌also be present.

Before the delegation left for Geneva, Umerov said Ukraine’s goal of “a sustainable and lasting peace” remained unchanged.

As well as land, Russia and Ukraine also remain far apart on issues such as who should control the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the ‌possible ‌role of Western troops in post-war Ukraine.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will represent the Trump administration at the talks, according to the Reuters news agency. They are also attending talks in Geneva this week with Iran.

Package-delivery giant targets savings of $3bn in 2026 amid push to slash deliveries for Amazon.

United Parcel Service, one of the world’s largest package-delivery companies, has announced plans to slash up to 30,000 jobs amid a push to cut costs and boost profits.

UPS, based in the US state of Georgia, will make the cuts as part of efforts to achieve savings of $3bn in 2026, UPS chief financial officer Brian ⁠Dykes said on an earnings call on Tuesday.

Dykes said the job cuts, part of plans to reduce UPS’s reliance on deliveries for its largest customer, Amazon, would be achieved through attrition and voluntary buyouts.

“We expect to offer a second voluntary separation programme for full-time drivers,” Dykes said.

UPS will also shut 24 buildings in the first half of the year and evaluate other buildings for closure in the second half, Dykes said.

He said the savings would be on top of $3.5bn in savings achieved in 2025 through cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of 26.9 million labour hours and the closure of 93 buildings.

Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters union, slammed the job cuts in a statement posted on social media.

“Corporate vultures giggled about giving their disrespectful driver buyout program another shot,” O’Brien said.

“Reminder: Teamsters overwhelmingly rejected UPS’s insulting payoff last year. We still know our worth. Drivers still endure violent winters and brutal heat to make UPS its billions. UPS must honor our contract and reward our members.”

UPS announced last year that it would reduce shipments for Amazon by half as part of plans to focus on a smaller volume of more lucrative deliveries.

The firm’s reported revenues of $24.5bn for the final three months of 2025, taking earnings for the year to $88.7bn, and projected revenues in 2026 are expected to hit $89.7bn.

UPS shares were largely unmoved on Tuesday, closing 0.22 percent higher.