The US and Ukrainian delegations meet in Washington on 30 November 2025. Photo: Rustem Umerov / Telegram
US and Ukrainian officials hailed talks between their delegations in Florida on Sunday as “productive”, but offered few details of what they had been able to agree on ahead of an upcoming meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
In short remarks to reporters, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides had held a “productive and useful session” where they had managed to make “additional progress” on talks held in Geneva a week earlier, when they began refining a controversial initial 28-point peace plan that was put together by White House and Kremlin officials without consultation with Kyiv.
Rubio stressed, however, that “much work” remained as both sides wanted to agree terms not only to end hostilities but also to “set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity”.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, who was brought in to head Kyiv’s delegation after former chief negotiator Andriy Yermak resigned amid his implication in a major corruption scandal, said the US had been “super supportive” in Kyiv’s goal of building a “strong, prosperous Ukraine”.
While neither Umerov nor Rubio took questions following the talks, Umerov described them in a social media post as “difficult but productive” and said they had yielded “tangible progress on the path towards a just peace”.
After being briefed by Umerov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks had a “constructive dynamic” with a “clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests”. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, told reporters he believed there was a “good chance” of reaching a deal to end the war.
News outlet RBC-Ukraine reported that the meeting had focused on territorial issues and Kyiv’s ambitions to join NATO — both major points of contention in Trump’s plan, which would force Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Russia and amend its constitution to include a pledge not to seek NATO membership.
According to an RBC-Ukraine source close to the diplomatic process, the US delegation tried to convey Moscow’s position on both issues, as the White House realises that “whatever common ground they reach with Ukraine, there remains the Russian side they still have to work with. And they understand that it is more difficult there”.
Also in attendance on Sunday were Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whom are expected to travel to Moscow on Monday to meet with Putin as the White House continues its push to end the war as soon as possible.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Sunday that that meeting would take place early this week, before Putin leaves for a state visit to India on Thursday.
