US and Ukraine set for Florida talks after Putin meeting
The United States and Ukraine will hold negotiations in Miami on Thursday, the White House said, following high-level talks between U.S. envoys and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner spent nearly five hours with Putin on Tuesday, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
The Kremlin said the discussions produced “no compromise” on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump described the talks as “reasonably good” but stressed that progress would depend on both sides: “It does take two to tango.”
Putin reportedly reiterated Moscow’s demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Russian-occupied Donbas region, saying the territory would either be “liberated by force” or Ukraine would have to pull back.
Ukrainian officials dismissed Russia’s stance. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Putin of stalling, while Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishyna, said there had been “not too much progress” but that diplomacy would continue.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations must be backed by increased pressure on Moscow, adding that “the world clearly feels there is a real opportunity to end the war.”
The Kremlin talks followed days of U.S. meetings with Ukrainian and European officials amid concerns that an early draft peace proposal leaned too closely toward Russia’s demands.
Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said some U.S. proposals were “more or less acceptable,” while others were sharply criticised by the Russian president.
Two major issues remain unresolved:
- the future of territories seized by Russia
- security guarantees for Ukraine
Kyiv and European partners believe NATO membership is essential to deter future Russian aggression. Russia vehemently opposes this, and Trump has repeatedly signalled he would block Ukraine’s entry into the alliance.
Ushakov suggested Russia’s negotiating posture had improved due to recent battlefield advances. Moscow claims progress around the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, though Ukraine says fighting there continues.
Russian forces seized around 701 sq km of Ukrainian territory in November, according to AFP analysis of ISW data, and now control 19.3% of the country.
The Kremlin said Putin was prepared to hold additional rounds of talks with the U.S. “as many times as needed.”
As U.S.–Russia contacts continue, tensions between Moscow and Europe are growing. Putin accused European governments of trying to derail the peace process and “sabotaging” relations between Washington and Moscow.
Shortly before meeting the U.S. delegations, Putin said he did not seek conflict with Europe but was “ready for war.”
European leaders dismissed the remarks. UK officials called them “yet more Kremlin claptrap,” and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed that Ukraine must be empowered to “keep the fight going.”
The EU reached an agreement to eliminate Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. The European Commission also proposed raising €90 billion to support Ukraine’s military and essential services over the next two years.
The financing plan could involve a reparations-style loan using frozen Russian assets in Belgium — a proposal resisted by both Belgium and the European Central Bank due to legal concerns.
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