The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, faces a crucial week of diplomacy, testing his abilities to stand his ground while demonstrating to the United States that he is willing to compromise.

A Ukrainian delegation was in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday for a day of talks with a US team lead by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

Zelenskyy chose his right-hand man, presidential chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, to lead the Ukrainian side, despite calls for his dismissal last week after a $100 million corruption scandal implicated top officials and business associates.

In a joint statement, the US and Ukraine said the talks had been “productive”, declining to go into detail on what issues were still being discussed.

Rubio said that both sides “need more time” and appeared to roll back the hard Thursday Thanksgiving deadline voiced by Trump, saying the “goal is to end this war as soon as possible”.

All this is playing out as Russia makes slow but steady advances across parts of Ukraine and relentlessly bombs power plants, causing severe electricity shortages. 

AP video shot by Mark Carlson