US and Ukrainian officials have described recent talks in Miami as constructive, even though they failed to deliver a significant breakthrough toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, issued a joint statement after three days of meetings involving European partners. They said discussions were focused on coordinating positions around a proposed 20-point plan, security guarantees for Ukraine, and a longer-term framework for economic recovery and prosperity.
At the same time, separate discussions were held in Miami between US officials and Russia’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, as Washington continues parallel engagement with both sides.
In their statement, Witkoff and Umerov said their shared goal was to halt the fighting, provide reliable security guarantees, and lay the groundwork for Ukraine’s stability and long-term rebuilding.
The Miami meetings are part of intensified diplomatic efforts that began after details of a leaked US peace proposal emerged weeks ago. That document, reportedly containing 28 points, alarmed Kyiv and several European governments because it appeared to make concessions to Moscow, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.
Witkoff said US officials, including himself and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, also met Russian representatives in Florida. He described those talks as productive, adding that Moscow had expressed continued interest in pursuing peace.
Despite sustained pressure from Trump on both Kyiv and Moscow, negotiations remain stalled over core disputes, particularly Russia’s insistence on retaining Ukrainian territory it currently occupies.
According to multiple sources cited by Reuters, US intelligence assessments still warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin ultimately aims to seize all of Ukraine and possibly reclaim parts of Europe once controlled by the former Soviet Union.
Those reports contrast with comments Putin recently made to the BBC, in which he suggested Russia would not pursue further conflicts after Ukraine if its interests were respected.
Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground. Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone strike damaged two ships and two piers in the southern Krasnodar region on Monday, sparking a major fire. Officials said all crew members were safely evacuated, while some reports indicated oil-related infrastructure may have been targeted.
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