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Officials from the United States and Russia held a new round of talks on Saturday in Florida regarding the war in Ukraine, as part of the efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to secure an agreement that would put an end to the conflict that began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The meeting in Miami takes place a day after U.S. delegations met with representatives from Ukraine and European countries to discuss a peace plan that has generated moderate expectations for a potential negotiated settlement.
According to a Russian source cited by Reuters, the Kremlin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, arrived in the Florida city to hold discussions with the U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump.
The Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio, had indicated that he might join the meetings.
Previous meetings between the parties were held at the Witkoff golf club in Hallandale Beach, also in the Miami area.
Officials from the United States, Ukraine, and Europe reported this week on progress regarding possible security guarantees for Kiev, although it remains unclear whether those conditions would be acceptable to Moscow.
A Russian source indicated that any direct meeting between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators was ruled out.
From Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this Saturday that Ukraine would support a U.S. proposal for trilateral talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, as long as it facilitates new prisoner exchanges and paves the way for meetings between national leaders.
Zelenski specified that the initiative includes a meeting between national security advisers from the three countries.
Despite diplomatic efforts, intelligence reports from the United States warn that Russian President Vladímir Putin intends to seize all of Ukraine, according to sources familiar with those reports.
This assessment contradicts some U.S. officials who claim that Moscow may be willing to negotiate peace.
Putin did not show any signs of compromise during his annual press conference in Moscow, where he reiterated that Russia's conditions for ending the war have not changed since June 2024.
These include Ukraine's renunciation of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions that Russia claims as its own.
Kiev has rejected ceding territories that Russian forces have not managed to occupy, after nearly four years of war.
The chief Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem Umerov, reported that the delegations from the United States and Europe agreed on Friday to continue their joint efforts and move forward with the next steps following consultations held in U.S. territory.
Rubio acknowledged that progress has been made, but warned that there is still a long way to go and that it is not guaranteed that an agreement will be reached before the year ends.
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