High-level negotiations between American and Ukrainian officials unfolded in South Florida this weekend, marking a significant step in the White House's intensified push to broker an end to Russia's nearly four-year-long war against Ukraine.
Florida Meeting Sets Stage for Critical Diplomacy
The talks took place at the Shell Bay golf club in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami, a property owned by special envoy Steve Witkoff. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was joined by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
On the Ukrainian side, the delegation was headed by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, as confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday. The team also included First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, according to Bloomberg News reports.
Quest for a Durable Peace Agreement
Before the meeting commenced on Sunday, Secretary Rubio outlined the American objective. "We want to see the end of the killing and the death and the suffering, and we are sure the Ukrainians want peace," Rubio stated. He emphasized that the goal extends beyond merely stopping hostilities.
"This is not just about ending the war, but ending a war in a way that creates a mechanism and a way forward that will allow them to be independent and sovereign and never having another war again," Rubio added, highlighting the U.S. focus on long-term security and sovereignty for Ukraine.
Rustem Umerov, communicating via the X platform, confirmed his team's mandate to protect Ukrainian interests and engage in substantive dialogue. He noted he is in "constant contact" with President Zelenskyy and that they are "working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees." The meeting was anticipated to last between one to two hours.
Expanding Diplomacy and Ongoing Conflict
The Florida discussions are part of a broader diplomatic flurry. Special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to lead a U.S. delegation to Russia for follow-up talks in the coming week, though the precise timing remains unconfirmed. This follows U.S.-Ukrainian talks held in Geneva just a week prior.
These diplomatic efforts proceed against a backdrop of continued violence. Russia maintains regular attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets, including residential housing, in an apparent attempt to undermine morale as winter approaches.
Ukraine has responded with its own strategic strikes, targeting Russian energy facilities and, as recently as Saturday, claiming responsibility for attacks on two ocean-going tankers in the Black Sea that form part of the so-called "shadow fleet" transporting Russian crude oil.
In a notable development on November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that proposals from the Trump administration could form a basis for a future agreement, though he cautioned that no final version yet exists. The initial U.S. peace plan, a 28-point proposal, was reportedly formulated chiefly through discussions between Witkoff and Russia's Kirill Dmitriev, a process that notably excluded Ukraine and its European allies.
