Senior United States and Russian officials are scheduled to hold another round of talks in Florida on Saturday as the administration of President Donald Trump intensifies diplomatic efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year.
The meeting comes a day after US negotiators held separate discussions with Ukrainian and European officials, part of a broader diplomatic push to test whether a negotiated settlement is possible following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Who Is Attending
According to officials familiar with the plans:
• Russia’s delegation will be led by Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of President Vladimir Putin.
• The US side will include Steve Witkoff, a real estate executive turned diplomatic intermediary, and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.
• Marco Rubio, serving as Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said he may also participate.
Previous encounters between US and Russian representatives have reportedly taken place at Witkoff’s golf club in Hallandale Beach, near Miami.
No Direct Russia–Ukraine Contact
A Russian source said any direct engagement between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators has been ruled out, underscoring the indirect nature of the talks, with Washington acting as the main intermediary between the two sides.
Sticking Points Remain
Despite cautious optimism expressed by some US and European officials earlier this week—particularly regarding security guarantees for Ukraine—major obstacles remain.
US intelligence assessments continue to warn that President Vladimir Putin ultimately aims to dominate all of Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the reports. This view contrasts with claims by some US officials that Moscow may be prepared to negotiate peace.
Putin reiterated a hard-line stance during his recent annual press conference, saying Russia’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged. Those demands include:
• Ukraine formally abandoning its bid to join NATO
• Kyiv withdrawing from four regions that Russia claims as its territory, despite not fully controlling them
Ukraine has firmly rejected those terms, stating it will not cede territory still under its control.
Ukraine and Allies Coordinate
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said US and European representatives met on Friday and agreed to continue coordinating closely.
“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Umerov wrote on Telegram, adding that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had been briefed on the outcome.
Cautious US Optimism
The White House did not immediately comment on the planned Florida meeting. However, Rubio acknowledged that while progress has been made, a final agreement remains uncertain.
“We can’t force Ukraine to make a deal. We can’t force Russia to make a deal,” Rubio told reporters. “They have to want to make a deal. Our role is to see whether there’s any overlap they can agree on.”
Rubio said the administration hopes momentum could lead to a breakthrough before the end of the year, though he conceded that outcome is far from guaranteed.
As diplomacy continues, the talks in Florida are being closely watched for signs of whether entrenched positions on both sides can narrow—or whether the war will continue into another year.
Source: Africa Publicity
