Swiss police officers guard the entrance of the Intercontinental Hotel during some negotiations last year. According to media reports, tripartite talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States are set to take place at the hotel from 17 to 18 February 2026. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

📍Geneva gears up for Iran and Ukraine talks. The city will become the backdrop today for back-to-back high-stakes negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, followed by the Ukraine war, as Washington dials up the pressure to secure deals in two of the world’s most combustible contexts.

✂️Swiss austerity measures also hit international climate organisations. The Federal Office for the Environment told Radio SRF that parliament and the federal council’s CHF 5.2 million combined planned annual cuts would “substantially weaken” Switzerland's position in UN climate and environmental policy and Geneva’s standing as a key location.

☢️Iran meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva ahead of a second round of US talks. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday and launched on the same day navy drills in the Strait of Hormuz. Associated Press

🇾🇪Aid mechanisms deployed to fill UN void in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas. After the closure of its offices in rebel-held regions north of the country, the UN is finding other ways to distribute aid, including through a network of international and local NGOs.