High-Stakes Diplomacy in Florida: US–Russia Talks Intensify as Efforts to End Ukraine War Continue
Background
More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, diplomatic efforts to end the war have gained renewed momentum.
The conflict has reshaped European security, triggered sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow, and drawn sustained military and financial support for Kyiv from the United States and its allies.
Against this backdrop, the administration of Donald Trump has stepped up backchannel and formal negotiations, attempting to identify common ground between Moscow and Kyiv while keeping European partners involved in the process.
U.S. negotiators held fresh discussions with senior Russian officials in Florida on Saturday as Washington intensified its push for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.
The meeting in Miami took place a day after American officials consulted with Ukrainian and European counterparts, reflecting a parallel-track approach aimed at shaping a possible peace framework acceptable to all parties.
The talks are part of a broader diplomatic initiative that has raised cautious optimism about a potential breakthrough in a conflict that has devastated large parts of Ukraine and strained global geopolitics since Russia’s invasion began in early 2022.
Following the Miami meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, described the discussions as “constructive.”
He confirmed that he had met U.S. special envoy Steve Witzoff, along with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and stated that negotiations would continue on Sunday.
A White House official confirmed that the day’s talks had concluded, while Dmitriev emphasized that dialogue was ongoing.
“The discussions began earlier, continued through the day, and will resume today and again tomorrow,” he told reporters.
U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio had earlier indicated that he might also participate in the discussions.
According to American, Ukrainian, and European officials, recent meetings have produced some progress on possible security guarantees for Kyiv. However, it remains uncertain whether Moscow would find those terms acceptable.
A Russian source, speaking to Reuters, said that any direct engagement between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out for now.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine would support a U.S. proposal for trilateral talks involving the United States,
Russia and Ukraine—provided such a format helped expand prisoner exchanges and cleared the way for direct meetings between national leaders.
“America is now proposing a trilateral meeting with national security advisers—America, Ukraine, Russia,” Zelenskyy told local journalists, signaling conditional openness to the idea.
Despite the diplomatic activity, U.S. intelligence assessments continue to warn that Putin’s long-term objective remains the capture of all of Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the reports.
These assessments stand in contrast to suggestions by some U.S. officials that Moscow may be ready to compromise.
Putin himself offered little indication of flexibility during his annual press conference in Moscow.
He reiterated that Russia’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged since June 2024, including demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and fully withdraw from four regions that Russia claims as its own—territory Moscow’s forces do not fully control.
Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any proposal that would require it to surrender land not captured by Russian forces after nearly four years of fighting.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said that U.S. and European teams met on Friday and agreed to continue coordinated efforts toward a settlement.
“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Umerov wrote on Telegram, adding that he had briefed President Zelenskyy on the outcome of the talks.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Speaking on Friday, Rubio acknowledged that while progress had been made, significant hurdles remain.
“Our role is to determine whether there is any overlap at all—any space where both sides might agree,” Rubio said.
“That’s what we’ve invested a great deal of time and effort in, and we’ll continue to do so. It may not be possible, but I hope it is. Ideally, I hope something can be achieved before the end of the year.”
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