U.S. and Ukraine "made additional progress" on Trump's peace plan, Rubio says
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Witkoff and Kushner at Miami International Airport. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The negotiations on Sunday in Miami between the U.S. and Ukraine on President Trump's peace plan made additional progress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine's national security adviser Rustem Umerov said.
Why it matters: The U.S. and Ukraine are working to finalize understandings on the U.S. peace plan, which has been heavily revised over several days of talks to be more palatable to Kyiv. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to present that document to Putin on Tuesday.
The latest: After five hours of talks Rubio and Umerov gave a short statement to the press without taking questions.
- "We had a very productive session. We don't want to only end the war but make Ukraine safe forever," Rubio said.
- Rubio added that "there is more work to be done" and stressed the U.S. will have to hold discussions with the Russian side.
- "That will continue later this week when Mr. Witkoff will travel to Moscow, but we have also been in touch with the Russians in varying degrees," Rubio noted.
- Umerov said the negotiations were "productive and successful."
Between the lines: President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff and lead negotiator Andriy Yermak was expected to lead the Ukrainian delegation, but he resigned on Friday after anti-corruption authorities raided his home.
- The corruption probe has reached deep into Zelensky's inner circle and rattled his government. Yermak, long seen as the second-most powerful person in Ukraine, texted associates on Sunday that he was "going to the front" in eastern Ukraine.
Driving the news: The Ukrainian contingent, now led by Umerov, arrived in Miami on Saturday ahead of the meeting, which took place at Witkoff's exclusive Shell Bay golf club.
- The delegation also included Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna, military chief of staff Gen. Andrii Hnatov and Ukrainian intelligence officials, per Ukrainian officials.
- The U.S. team included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner.
What to watch: During talks in Geneva last Sunday, the sides reached agreements in principle on all but two issues: territory and security guarantees.
- A senior U.S. official said the White House wants to close the gaps on those last two issues on Sunday, saying: "The Ukrainians know what we expect from them."
The other side: Prior to his resignation, Yermak told Axios that territorial concessions could only be negotiated at the presidential level.
- But Trump said last week that he would only meet Zelensky and Putin once the parties were close to an agreement to end the war.
- "The dialogue based on the Geneva points will continue. Diplomacy remains active. The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end. The Ukrainian delegation has the necessary directives, and I expect the guys to work in accordance with clear Ukrainian priorities," Zelensky said on Saturday.
Friction point: The U.S. side hopes that bringing a set of U.S.-Ukraine understandings to the table will help them make progress with Putin.
- But as the Ukrainians have managed to secure edits to the original 28-point U.S. plan, the Kremlin has cast doubt on its willingness to accept the terms.
- Putin also doubled down on his territorial demands, saying Thursday that Russia will either take all the land it claims peacefully or through force. He said Kyiv seemed prepared to fight "to the last Ukrainian," and so is Russia.
