US, Ukraine Officials Make Progress on Creating Security Framework, Talks to Continue

U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Miami on Friday for what they described as productive talks on ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, with plans to resume discussions Saturday after consultations with their leaders.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Gen. Andriy Hnatov, for “constructive discussions on advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine,” Witkoff said in a Friday statement posted on X.

Friday’s meeting is the group’s sixth in the last two weeks.

Witkof said both parties agree that real progress toward an end to the war, which started in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, depends on Russia’s readiness to commit to long-term peace, such as de-escalation and cessation of attacks.

“Parties also separately reviewed the future prosperity agenda which aims to support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, joint U.S.–Ukraine economic initiatives, and long-term recovery projects,” Witkoff said in the statement on X, noting that the sides had agreed to a framework of security arrangements and discussed deterrence capabilities. Witkoff also said that an end to the war is necessary to allow for Ukraine’s development plan.

In a joint statement with the U.S. State Department, Umerov underscored that Ukraine’s priority is to secure a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty, ensures the safety of Ukrainians, and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future.

The participants discussed the results of Witkoff and Kushner’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week about U.S. proposals for a peace agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The Moscow discussions on Dec. 2 lasted five hours, with Putin calling them “very useful,” but said that coming to an agreement would not be easy.

“This is a difficult task and a difficult mission that President Trump has taken on,” Putin said. “Getting the conflicting parties to reach some kind of consensus is no easy task.”

The U.S.-backed initiative, a 28-point framework drafted by Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, proposes that Kyiv cede territory to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and forgo NATO membership.

Ukrainian delegates, led by Umerov, traveled to the United States last week to continue talks on the proposal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the American negotiations as helpful, though he said Ukraine is at a difficult point in evaluating the proposal.

Prior discussions held in Florida, such as one in Hallandale Beach with Rubio, Witkoff, and Kushner alongside Ukrainian counterparts, were described by Rubio as beneficial.

Some European leaders, as well as U.S. legislators, have expressed concerns over certain parts of the proposal, including Ukraine yielding territory and shrinking its military size.

Reuters contributed to this report.