US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that talks with Ukraine about ending the Russia-Ukraine war were productive, but “more work remains to be done,” Reuters reported.
The meeting took place in Florida and included a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s new chief negotiator. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were also present during the meeting. Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week for further talks.
US and Ukraine hold peace talks, no deal yet
Over the weekend, US and Ukrainian officials held long discussions about a possible peace plan, but no final agreement was reached. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to push for a truce with Russia.
“There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week, when Mr. Witkoff travels to Moscow, although we’ve also been in touch in varying degrees with the Russian side, but we have a pretty good understanding of their views as well,” Rubio told reporters on Sunday after meeting Ukrainian officials for at least four hours in Florida.
Rubio added that the goal of the talks is not just to stop the fighting, but also to help Ukraine “enter an age of true prosperity, I think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done.” Rubio met with Ukrainian officials in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami.
This meeting was likely Ukraine’s last chance to speak with Witkoff before he leads a US delegation to Russia this week. Trump is urging Ukraine to make territorial and other concessions to Moscow to end the war.
Ukraine’s response
“We discussed all the important matters for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and the US was very supportive,” Umerov said. Umerov replaced Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s top negotiator, who resigned after an anti-corruption raid on his home.
Sunday’s meeting was part of two weeks of ongoing diplomatic efforts. The talks followed the leak of a 28-point US peace plan, which came as a major shock for Ukraine and its European allies, as it seemed to favour Russia.
Umerov told reporters: “We are discussing the future of Ukraine, the security of Ukraine, no repetition of aggression, prosperity, and how to rebuild Ukraine. The US is hearing us. The US is supporting us. The US is working beside us.” He later described the meeting as “productive and successful”
Trump reacts to Ukraine-US Florida meeting
Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said the talks were “going along well” and there was a good chance of a deal. He confirmed he would send Witkoff, and if possible, Kushner, to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss the peace plan, which has been revised several times.
Since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or injured, thousands of civilians have died, and at least seven million people have become refugees.
The conflict between the two former Soviet states began in 2014, after Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was overthrown. Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting armed uprisings in eastern Ukraine.