The US military is preparing for the possibility of prolonged, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two US officials told Reuters, in what could become a much more serious conflict than previously seen between the two countries. The revelation from the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for ongoing diplomacy between the United States and Iran.
Two rounds of diplomatic negotiations will be held in Geneva on Tuesday, on Ukraine and Iran. The British press agency always writes this, citing a source informed on the matter. A US delegation, consisting of envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will meet the Iranians on Tuesday morning, according to the source. Representatives from Oman, who mediate contacts between the United States and Iran, will also be present. Witkoff and Kushner will then participate in trilateral talks with representatives of Russia and Ukraine in the afternoon.
Kiev-Moscow talks on the 17th in Geneva. Trump: “Zelensky should move”
The diplomatic machine laboriously gets back into motion with a new meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the USA scheduled for next week in Geneva – with Europe still excluded – while on the ground the script does not change, with bombings and blackouts gripping the Ukrainian population in this difficult, fifth winter of war. After the first two trilateral meetings held in Abu Dhabi at the end of January and beginning of February, the Kremlin announced that negotiators from Moscow, Kiev and Washington will meet again on the 17th and 18th in the Swiss city.
The Russian delegation will be led by presidential advisor Vladimir Medinsky, who will take the place of the head of military intelligence, Admiral Igor Kostyukov. But informed sources told the Tass agency that Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s advisor for foreign investments, will also be in Geneva. On the Ukrainian side, Zelensky confirmed the formation of Abu Dhabi negotiators, led by the secretary of the National Security Council Rustem Umerov and the head of the presidential cabinet, Kyrylo Budanov. For the moment, no role is reserved for Europe, after French President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to test the waters for opening a dialogue with the Kremlin. A move that certainly did not meet with the approval of other EU countries, in particular Germany.
“Russia is not yet willing to talk seriously,” said Chancellor Friedrich Merz from Munich at the opening of the Security Conference. “This war – he added – will end only when Russia is exhausted at least economically, and potentially militarily. We are approaching this moment”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also arrived in Munich, planning a series of diplomatic contacts, including a meeting with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
“The war in Ukraine is terrible, people are suffering, it’s the coldest time of the year,” the US diplomatic chief told reporters. Speaking about the planned contacts in Munich, Zelensky said that with the allies he aims to “end the war with a dignified peace”. Of particular importance was also a meeting between Kiev’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. A “significant and productive” conversation, Sybiha defined it, during which the Beijing representative promised the provision of “a further package of humanitarian energy assistance to Ukraine”. Zelensky has already seen the leaders of the Berlin Group and Ursula von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s commitment to providing “robust security guarantees”. Instead, Donald Trump is breathing down the Ukrainian leader’s neck: “He needs to get a move on, Russia wants an agreement.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged us not to view Russia as “a mighty bear” but as a “garden snail”, judging by the speed with which Moscow’s troops are advancing into Ukraine, at the cost, he said, of “staggering losses”. But Russian bombing continues to hit energy and logistics infrastructure.