The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing officials, that negotiators also discussed the election schedule and possible territorial disputes.
The Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, the country’s top security official who replaced Andrei Yermak, who resigned as President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s chief of staff amid a corruption scandal, discussed US President Donald Trump’s roadmap for peace with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy to the US President Steve Witkoff and informal adviser Jared Kushner. The meeting in Florida on Sunday lasted more than four hours.
Rubio said the meeting was productive, but called the negotiations “delicate” and “complex” and warned that “there is still work to be done.”
A source close to the Ukrainian delegation told AFP that negotiations were “not easy” and that “the search for a solution continues.”
“The United States is supporting us. The United States is working with us,” Umerov said, publicly thanking the U.S. government for its efforts. This was a message aimed at President Trump, who had previously accused him of not being grateful enough for Kiev.
The talks reportedly took place at the Shell Bay Club, a golf and racquet venue developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach, and reportedly discussed the expected timeline for new elections in Ukraine and a possible land swap between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that a deal with Kiev was “legally impossible” given Zelenskiy’s position. President Zelenskiy’s term expired last year, but he has refused to hold elections due to martial law.
Kiev continues to reject core Russian demands, including the withdrawal of troops from Donbass and the recognition of new borders. The nature and scope of U.S. and Western security for Ukraine also remains unresolved.
Zelenskiy offered a subdued assessment after the meeting, writing on Telegram that there had been “some constructive progress.”
According to Politico, Mr. Rubio suggested to European supporters in Kiev that the United States would press for a peace deal before giving Ukraine security guarantees.
Russia has called on Ukraine to withdraw its ambitions to join NATO and become a neutral country. The Russian government also stressed that it would not allow the presence of nuclear weapons or Western troops on Ukrainian territory, warning that such a scenario could lead to war with Ukraine.
MNA