Patrick Jackson
ReutersUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio reports that discussions with Ukraine regarding a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict were fruitful, although he acknowledged that “more work remains”.
These discussions, conducted in Florida, included a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov, the new chief negotiator from Ukraine’s national security council.
Present at the session were Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Witkoff plans to travel to Moscow for further discussions next week.
Umerov was appointed to replace Andriy Yermak, the previous top negotiator for the Ukrainian president, after Yermak resigned following a corruption raid at his residence.
Sunday’s discussions mark a significant point in two weeks of heightened diplomatic engagements.
The initiative was prompted by the leak of a 28-point US peace proposal, which alarmed Ukraine and its European partners for seemingly siding with Russia, which has invaded Ukraine for almost four years.
“It’s not only about the conditions to cease hostilities,” Rubio stated during the meeting in Hallandale Beach, just north of Miami.
“It also concerns the terms that secure a future of long-term prosperity for Ukraine… I believe we made progress on that today, but additional efforts are needed.”
He conveyed to the Ukrainian delegation that the goal of the peace negotiations with Russia is to ensure Ukraine remains “sovereign, independent, and prosperous”.
As the discussions commenced on Sunday, Umerov remarked: “We are talking about Ukraine’s future, its security, preventing any repetition of aggression against Ukraine, ensuring Ukraine’s prosperity, and the rebuilding of Ukraine”.
“The US is listening to us,” he stated in English. “The US is backing us. The US is collaborating alongside us.”
He subsequently characterized the discussions as “productive and successful”, while Rubio described them as “highly productive and beneficial”.
On Sunday, while speaking to the press aboard Air Force One, Trump remarked that the talks were “progressing well” and expressed optimism about the possibility of a resolution to the conflict.
Trump had previously indicated that he would send Witkoff and perhaps also Kushner to Moscow this week to meet with President Vladimir Putin to deliberate on the substantially revised peace proposal.
On social media, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated: “It is essential that the negotiations maintain a constructive momentum and that all matters are discussed candidly with a clear focus on securing Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests.”
He expressed his gratitude to the US and Trump for their attempts to facilitate an end to the conflict.
A significant unresolved matter is the status of Ukrainian territories that Russia has either annexed or currently controls.
The discussions held in Florida were described as “challenging”, according to a source close to the Ukrainian delegation who spoke to AFP news agency.
“However, all parties are making efforts to be constructive and seek a resolution,” the source added.
Zelensky is expected to travel to Paris on Monday for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, a reliable ally.
Since Russia initiated its invasion on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or injured, along with thousands of civilians, and over seven million people have been displaced.
The tensions between the two former Soviet nations date back to 2014, when Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was ousted and in response, Russia annexed Crimea and backed armed rebellions in eastern Ukraine.
