TALKS held over the past three days between United States, European and Ukrainian officials were focused on aligning their respective positions on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who described the discussions as productive.
The meetings come as US President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow to reach an agreement to end the conflict, now nearing its fourth year. While Washington is pushing for a swift resolution, Russia has signalled it wants to retain Ukrainian territory it has seized, a condition Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
Reuters, on Monday, cited Witkoff saying the latest round of discussions, held in Florida, was aimed at forging a shared strategic approach among the United States, Ukraine and Europe.
In a social media post, he described Sunday’s talks as “productive and constructive” and centred on “a shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States and Europe”.
After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Saturday, Witkoff and Trump adviser Jared Kushner held talks on Sunday with European and Ukrainian officials, followed by a separate meeting with the Ukrainian delegation led by senior official Rustem Umerov.
In a separate post on X, Witkoff used similar language to describe his discussions with Dmitriev, also calling them “productive and constructive”.
“Russia remains fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine,” Witkoff said in the post. “Russia highly values the efforts and support of the United States to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and re-establish global security.”
However, Moscow has struck a more cautious tone. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier on Sunday that Ukrainian and European input into the peace proposals had not improved the prospects for peace. He added that Dmitriev was due to return to Moscow on Monday to brief Putin on the outcome of the talks.
“After that, we will formulate the position with which we will proceed, including in our contacts with the Americans,” Ushakov said in remarks published by Kremlin pool journalist Pavel Zarubin on Telegram.
The Florida meetings are part of a broader series of negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine centred on a US-drafted 20-point plan to end the war. Witkoff said the US-Ukraine discussions focused on four main areas: further development of the 20-point plan, a multilateral security guarantee framework, a US security guarantee framework for Ukraine, and economic measures aimed at rebuilding the country.
He added that negotiators paid particular attention to “timelines” and the “sequencing of next steps”.
Earlier this week, US, Ukrainian and European officials reported progress on security guarantees for Kyiv as part of the proposed settlement, though it remains unclear whether those arrangements would be acceptable to Moscow.
“Peace must be not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a dignified foundation for a stable future,” Witkoff said.
Despite the diplomatic momentum, US intelligence assessments suggest President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his broader territorial ambitions in Ukraine, according to six people familiar with the matter. Responding to a Reuters report on Friday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X that intelligence assessments showed Russia “does not currently have the capability to conquer and occupy all of Ukraine, let alone Europe”.
In Washington, scepticism remains over whether the Kremlin will accept the proposed deal. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said on NBC’s Meet the Press that it was still unclear if Putin would agree to the current terms.
If Russia refuses, Graham said the administration should consider measures similar to its recent actions involving oil tankers near Venezuela and “seize ships that are carrying sanctioned Russian oil”.
He added that a rejection of the proposal should also lead to the United States labelling “Russia a state sponsor of terrorism for kidnapping 20,000 Ukrainian kids”.
As talks continue, the path to a negotiated end to the war remains uncertain, hinging on whether the competing demands of Kyiv and Moscow can be reconciled within the framework now being shaped by Washington and its allies. - December 22, 2025
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