Ukraine, US Enter Third Day of Talks, Say Real Breakthrough Hinges on Russia

Ukrainian and U.S. officials will meet in Miami today for a third consecutive day of negotiations, with Washington noting that both sides agree “real progress” can only happen if Russia shows readiness to end the war.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been holding discussions with Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov, chief of staff of Kyiv’s armed forces.

These meetings follow Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Kremlin on Tuesday, where they presented a U.S. peace plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow, however, rejected parts of the proposal.

“Both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings,” Witkoff said in a statement on X summarizing Friday’s session.

According to the readout, U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators also aligned on a framework for security arrangements and discussed deterrence measures needed to support a durable peace.

The U.S. proposal envisions Ukraine relinquishing territory Russia has failed to capture militarily, in exchange for security assurances that fall short of full NATO membership. The details of those guarantees remain unclear, though an early draft mentioned basing defensive jets in Poland to protect Kyiv.

Since first surfacing late last month, the U.S. plan has gone through several revisions amid criticism that it was overly lenient toward Russia, which launched its invasion in February 2022.

Witkoff—Trump’s former business partner turned global envoy—and Kushner attempted to win Putin’s support during the Moscow talks but left without an agreement.

‘Genuinely friendly’ tone in Moscow

Despite the lack of a deal, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described Tuesday’s five-hour meeting as cordial.

Putin and Witkoff “had a genuinely friendly conversation and they understand each other perfectly,” Ushakov said on Russian state TV. He also praised Kushner’s involvement, calling him “very useful.”

On the Ukrainian side, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak noted Friday that diplomacy “takes place mostly behind the scenes.” He wrote that “Ukraine seeks to end the war and is ready for talks,” adding that the U.S. wants a “pragmatic process and a quick end to the war, expecting compromises from both sides.”

Trump said Wednesday that the Moscow meeting was “reasonably good,” insisting his envoys came away with the “strong impression” that Putin wants to end the war.

Since returning to office in January, Trump’s stance toward Ukraine has fluctuated—initially criticizing Zelensky and warming to Putin, then later expressing frustration over failed attempts to secure a breakthrough, including a summit in Alaska. He recently imposed sanctions on Russian oil firms.

While in India this week to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin acknowledged that talks were “complex,” but said he prefers to engage with Trump’s plan “rather than obstruct it.”

Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to press their advantage on the battlefield, pushing forward against outnumbered Ukrainian troops.

Early Saturday, Kyiv region governor Mykola Kalashnyk said Russia was carrying out “massive” drone and missile attacks, wounding three people. Russia’s defense ministry reported downing 116 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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