US and Ukrainian negotiators hold talks in Florida on peace plan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian officials (Terry Renna/AP)

Top Trump administration officials have met Ukrainian negotiators in Florida, pushing to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and setting the stage for talks planned this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, held talks with a Ukrainian delegation to further flesh out the details of a proposed peace framework.

The negotiations come at a sensitive moment for Ukraine as it continues to push back against Russian forces that invaded in 2022 while dealing with a domestic corruption scandal.

Diplomats have been focused on revisions to a proposed 28-point plan developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow. That plan has been criticised as being too weighted toward Russian demands. As the meeting began on Sunday, Mr Rubio focused on reassuring Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have been in Florida (Terry Renna/AP)

“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war,” Mr Rubio said in brief remarks. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.

“This is not just about peace deals,” the top American diplomat said as the teams sat down at the Shell Bay Club, a golf and racket club developed by Mr Witkoff in Hallandale Beach.

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s security council, responded to Mr Rubio by expressing his country’s appreciation for US efforts, a message geared toward Mr Trump, who has at times claimed that Ukraine has not been sufficiently grateful for US assistance during the war.

“US is hearing us,” Mr Umerov said. “US is supporting us. US is working beside us.”

Mr Umerov has been involved in ongoing talks but until now, Ukraine’s head negotiator had been Andrii Yermak, the powerful chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Friday, Mr Zelensky announced the resignation of Mr Yermak, after his home was searched by anti-corruption investigators.

Mr Zelensky’s government has been hit by fallout from a scandal over 100 million dollars embezzled from the energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors, causing domestic pressures for Mr Zelensky.

It was only a week ago that Mr Rubio had met Mr Yermak in Geneva, with each side saying the talks had been positive in putting together a revised peace plan.

Russian attacks have been continuing (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Among the other members of the Ukrainian delegation were Andrii Hnatov, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz.

The plan, which Mr Trump has since played down as a “concept” or a “map” to be “fine-tuned”, would have imposed limits on the size of Ukraine’s military, blocked the country from joining Nato and required Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days. Negotiators have indicated the framework has changed but it is not clear how its provisions have been altered.

It had initially envisioned Ukraine ceding the entire eastern region of the Donbas to Russia — a sticking point for Kyiv.

Mr Trump said on Tuesday that he would send Mr Witkoff and perhaps Mr Kushner to Moscow this week to meet Mr Putin about the plan.