US Envoy to Visit Moscow Days After High-Level Florida Talks on Ukraine Endgame
HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that roughly four hours of peace talks with a Ukrainian delegation were “constructive,” though he emphasized that “more work is needed to reach a deal” to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The high-level discussions, held yesterday in Florida, focused on outlining a possible endgame to the conflict. The American delegation included President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, while Ukraine’s team was led by its chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov.
The talks were held just days ahead of a planned visit by Witkoff to Moscow for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also follow a tense period after a leaked 28-point US peace plan, which appeared to favor Russia, surprised Ukraine and its European allies.
Rubio stressed that the ultimate goal goes beyond just stopping the fighting, aiming to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security and prosperity. Umerov, responding to Rubio, acknowledged that the U.S. is “hearing us” and “working beside us,” but offered no specific hints on the progress achieved during the negotiations.