Third day of Ukraine settlement talks to begin in Miami

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MIAMI: A third day of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine was set to begin on Sunday (Dec 21) in Miami, with Ukrainian negotiators meeting US officials as Russia said its envoy was present only to receive updates on a revised peace plan and report back to Moscow.

Washington last month alarmed Kyiv and its European allies by unveiling a 28-point proposal widely seen as conceding to core Russian demands. That plan has since been redrafted following consultations with Ukraine and Europe, and the latest version is now being discussed in Florida.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in Miami to receive information about amendments developed by the Americans and Europeans, stressing that he had no new mandate from President Vladimir Putin. Russian state media showed Dmitriev arriving at the Shell Bay golf club owned by US envoy Steve Witkoff, a former business associate of President Donald Trump.

Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said he was preparing to start a third round of discussions with US officials. Ukrainian and Russian representatives were expected to meet separately with Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, after Moscow ruled out three-way talks. European envoys were also in Miami, according to Kyiv.

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM FROM KYIV

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the talks as “constructive” and said they were moving at a fairly rapid pace, while warning that progress depended on whether Moscow genuinely wanted to end the war.

“Much depends on whether Russia feels the need to end the war for real,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that Russia’s actions on the ground continued to cast doubt on its intentions.

Kyiv is widely expected to face pressure to cede some territory under the revised plan in exchange for US security guarantees, a prospect that remains deeply unpopular among Ukrainians.

WAR CONTINUES AS TALKS PROCEED

Even as negotiations continued, fighting on the ground showed no sign of easing. Zelenskyy said Russia had launched around 1,300 attack drones, nearly 1,200 guided bombs and multiple missiles over the past week, with heavy damage concentrated in the Black Sea region, including Odesa, where eight people were killed on Saturday.

Ukraine also reported renewed Russian pressure in the eastern Sumy region, where officials said dozens of civilians were forcibly moved from a border village. Moscow has not commented on the allegation.

PUTIN SIGNALS OPENNESS TO MACRON CALL

Peskov said on Sunday that Putin had expressed readiness to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron about the conflict. Macron’s office welcomed the signal but said any talks would be conducted transparently and in coordination with Ukraine and European allies.

Relations between Russia and Europe remain deeply strained nearly four years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Moscow argues European involvement hinders peace efforts, Macron has suggested Europe should re-engage diplomatically rather than leaving negotiations solely to Washington.

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