US President Donald Trump expressed optimism after a high-level assembly between US officers and a Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Sunday, suggesting there was a “good chance” of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Talks have been “going along, and they’re going along well,” Trump advised reporters aboard Air Force One.
“I think that there’s a good chance we can make a deal,” he added.
His feedback got here after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio forged the peace talks as fragile, and underscored that Russia would have a central function to play in any deal.
“This is delicate, it’s complicated,” Rubio advised reporters after the assembly, which included particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
“There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that they’ll have to be a part of the equation,” Rubio stated.
The Secretary of State described the assembly in Miami as “a very productive and useful session where … additional progress was made,” however cautioned that extra work remained. He stated the administration’s diplomatic push would intensify this week.
Witkoff is touring to Moscow on Monday, the place he’s anticipated to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a US official advised NCS.
Rubio stated US officers had “been in touch in varying degrees with the Russian side, but we have a pretty good understanding of their views as well.”
The high US diplomat stated the groups weren’t solely engaged on phrases that will end the preventing between Ukraine and Russia but in addition “terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity.”
Before the assembly started, Rubio stated the objective of the negotiations was to create “a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent, and prosperous.”
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, stated that the assembly was “productive and successful” and had constructed on the success of the earlier US-Ukraine talks in Geneva.
“Our objective is a prosperous, strong Ukraine,” Umerov advised reporters, “We discussed all the matters that are important for Ukraine. And the US was super supportive.”
Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, was appointed to head the Ukrainian crew after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s highly effective chief of employees, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday amid a corruption scandal.
Zelensky will meet a part of the Ukrainian delegation that met with US officers over the weekend in Ireland on Tuesday, in accordance to a Ukrainian official.
Zelensky – who’s in Paris Monday – will meet with chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and different members of the crew, the official advised NCS.
Writing on X Monday, Zelensky stated that “everything was very constructive” at the weekend talks in Florida.
“There are some tough issues that still have to be worked through,” he added. “Our representatives will return to Europe in the coming days.”
Ukraine is in search of worldwide safety ensures as a part of any settlement to end the war and a ceasefire primarily based on the present entrance traces. It has rejected ceding any territory not already occupied by Russian forces.
But Putin has proven little signal he’s prepared to provide concessions, saying that the war would solely end “once Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy.”
Rubio met Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva final weekend, when substantial revisions have been made to the authentic 28-point blueprint developed by Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund and a Kremlin particular envoy.
Ukraine’s European allies stated that the authentic plan – which was seen as extremely favorable to Russia – would require “additional work.”
Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov stated final week the Kremlin had obtained the newest model of the plan.
“This isn’t an official one, but we do have the document. We haven’t discussed it with anyone yet because the points in it require truly serious analysis and discussion,” Ushakov stated.
After suggesting that he needed Ukraine to agree to a deal by Thursday of final week, Trump backed away from imposing any form of deadline.
“You know what the deadline for me is? When it’s over,” he stated.
The negotiations come in opposition to a backdrop of persistent Russian missile and drone assaults in opposition to cities and infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Sunday that in the final week, Russia had used practically 1,400 assault drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and 66 missiles in assaults.
For its half, Ukraine continues to goal Russian vitality and protection infrastructure with long-range drones and domestically manufactured missiles. Ukraine additionally used maritime drones on Friday and Saturday in strikes in the Black Sea in opposition to two sanctioned oil tankers used to ship Russian oil.
The two tankers, which flew below the Gambian flag, have been broken however not sunk.
As the negotiations proceed, Ukraine’s former army chief of employees, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is taken into account a potential rival to Zelensky, wrote in the Daily Telegraph Sunday that “war does not always end with the victory of one side and the defeat of the other.”
“We Ukrainians strive for complete victory, but we cannot reject the option of a long-term end to the war,” Zaluzhnyi wrote.