US, Russian officials meet in Florida for more Ukraine talks

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – US negotiators met Russian officials in Florida on Dec 20 for the latest talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, as President Donald Trump’s administration tries to coax an agreement out of both sides to end the conflict.

The Miami meeting followed US talks on Dec 19 with Ukrainian and European officials, the latest discussions of a peace plan that has sparked some hope of a resolution to the conflict that began when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters after meeting US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner that the talks were constructive and would continue on Dec 21. A White House official said the talks had concluded for the day.

“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Mr Dmitriev said.

Mr Marco Rubio, Mr Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, had said he might also join the talks.

The US, Ukrainian and European officials earlier this week reported progress on security guarantees for Kyiv as part of the talks to end the war, but it remains unclear if those terms will be acceptable to Moscow.

A Russian source told Reuters that any meeting between Mr Dmitriev and the Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec 20 that Ukraine would back a US proposal for three-sided talks with the United States and Russia if it facilitated more exchanges of prisoners and paved the way for meetings of national leaders.

“America is now proposing a trilateral meeting with national security advisers – America, Ukraine, Russia,” Mr Zelensky told local journalists in Kyiv.

Putin offering no compromise

US intelligence reports continue to warn that Mr Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine, sources familiar with the intelligence said, contradicting some US officials’ assertions that Moscow is ready for peace.

Mr Putin offered no compromise during his annual press conference in Moscow, insisting that Russia’s terms for ending the war had not changed since June 2024, when he demanded Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO and withdraw entirely from four Ukrainian regions Russia claims as its own territory.

Kyiv says it will not cede land that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in nearly four years of war.

Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said US and European teams on Dec 19 held talks and agreed to pursue their joint efforts.

“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Mr Umerov wrote on Telegram of the discussions in the United States, adding that he had informed Mr Zelensky of the outcome of the talks.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr Rubio told reporters on Dec 19 that progress has been made in discussions to end the war, but there is still some way to go.

“The role we’re trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there’s any overlap here that they can agree to, and that’s what we’ve invested a lot of time and energy and continue to do so. That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month before the end of the year.” REUTERS