US and Ukraine call Miami talks productive despite no breakthrough
US and Ukrainian envoys say “productive and constructive” talks are taking place in Miami, but there still appears to be no major progress in efforts to end Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff issued a joint statement with senior Ukrainian negotiator Rustam Umerov after three days of talks with European allies.
The two said the meeting focused on harmonizing positions on a 20-point plan, the “multilateral security guarantee framework”, the “US Security guarantee framework for Ukraine” and the “economic and welfare plan”.
Separate talks are being held in Miami between the US and Russian ambassador Kirill Dmitriev.
“Our common priority is to stop the killings, ensure guaranteed security and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability and long-term prosperity,” Witkoff and Umerov said in a statement. they said.
The meetings are the final step in diplomatic activities that have been going on for weeks. Leak of the 28-article US peace plan This shocked Ukraine and its European allies as they appeared to support Russia, which launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.
Witkoff said representatives from Russia met with him and other U.S. officials in south Florida, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Witkoff also said that the talks with Russian ambassador Dmitriev were “productive and constructive” and that “Russia is fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine.”
Trump has been pushing Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement to end the war, but so far the two countries have failed to agree on key issues, including Moscow’s demand to keep territory it has already seized.
US intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to take over all of Ukraine and retake parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources close to US intelligence told the Reuters news agency.
He says this will come later Putin told the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg: If Russia is treated with respect, there will be no more war after Ukraine.
“If you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests as we always try to respect yours, there will be no operation,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike damaged two ships and two piers in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, Russian officials said on Monday.
The damage led to a massive fire, but Russian officials say the entire crew was evacuated safely. Some reports say oil infrastructure was targeted.
