US and Ukrainian officials held what both sides called productive talks yesterday about a peace deal with Russia, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing optimism about progress despite challenges in ending the more than three-year-long war.
“We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is, but optimistic, particularly given the fact that as we’ve made progress, I think there is a shared vision here that this is not just about ending the war ... it is about securing Ukraine’s future, a future that we hope will be more prosperous than it’s ever been,” Rubio said in Florida, where the talks were being held.
Rubio said the aim is to create a pathway that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent.
The discussions follow roughly two weeks of negotiations that began with a US blueprint for peace.
Critics said the plan initially favoured Russia, which started the Ukraine conflict with a 2022 invasion.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were also present representing the US side.
Witkoff is expected to meet Russian counterparts later this week.
Trump has expressed frustration at not being able to end the war.
He pledged as a presidential candidate to do so in one day and has said he was surprised it has been so hard, given what he calls a strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has largely resisted concessions to stop the fighting.
Trump’s team has pressured Ukraine to make significant concessions itself, including giving up territory to Russia.
The talks shifted yesterday with a change in leadership from the Ukrainian side.
A new chief negotiator, national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, led the talks for Kyiv after the resignation on Friday of previous team leader Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid a corruption scandal at home.
As the meeting began, Umerov thanked the United States and its officials for their support. “US is hearing us, US is supporting us, US is walking besides us,” Umerov said in English.
The talks took place near Miami at a private club, Shell Bay, developed by Witkoff’s real estate business.
Zelenskiy had said he expected the results from previous meetings in Geneva would be ‘hammered out’ on Sunday.
In Geneva, Ukraine presented a counter-offer to proposals laid out by US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to leaders in Kyiv some two weeks ago.
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