US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says talks with Ukraine on an agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war were productive, but “there is more work to do.”
The talks, held in Florida, were attended by a Ukrainian delegation led by National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s new chief negotiator.
Also attending the meeting were President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Witkoff will visit Moscow for talks next week.
Umerov was hired to replace the Ukrainian president’s chief negotiator, Andriy Yermak, after he resigned following an anti-corruption raid on his home.
Sunday’s meeting is the latest step in two weeks of intense diplomatic activity.
It was sparked by the leak of a 28-point US peace plan that surprised Ukraine and its European allies by appearing to favor Russia, which invaded Ukraine almost four years ago.
“It’s not just about the terms that end the fight,” Rubio said at the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami.
“It’s also about the terms that set Ukraine up for long-term prosperity… I think we’re building on that today, but there’s more work to do.”
He also told the Ukrainian delegation that the goal of peace talks with Russia is to leave Ukraine “sovereign, independent and prosperous.”
Opening Sunday’s talks, Umerov said: “We are discussing the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about the non-repetition of Ukraine’s aggression, about the prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine.”
“The United States is listening to us,” he said, speaking in English. “The United States is supporting us. It is working alongside us.”
He later called the conversations “productive and successful,” while Rubio said they had been “very productive and useful.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said talks were “going well” and there was a good chance of reaching an agreement to end the conflict.
Trump previously said he would send Witkoff and possibly also Kushner to Moscow this week to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss the much-revised peace plan.
In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues are discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests.”
He added that he was grateful to the United States and Trump for their efforts to try to end the war.
A crucial unresolved issue is the fate of Ukrainian territory that Russia has annexed or controls.
The talks in Florida “were not easy,” a source close to the Ukrainian delegation told AFP.
“But everyone is trying to be constructive and find a solution,” the source added.
Zelensky will visit Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, a strong ally.
Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded, as have thousands of civilians, and at least seven million people have become refugees since Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022.
The conflict between the two former Soviet states dates back to 2014, when Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was overthrown and Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting armed uprisings in eastern Ukraine.
