US and Ukraine negotiators say ‘real progress’ toward peace depends on Russia
Top negotiators from the US and Ukraine said on Friday that they had constructive discussions on ending the Ukraine war, but the path toward peace depended on Russia.
“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,” US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner said in a joint statement with Ukraine’s negotiators.
During the meeting, the two sides “agreed on the framework of security arrangements” and discussed deterrence.
Talks in Moscow on Tuesday did not lead to a compromise on a possible peace deal in the near four-year war.
The two-day meeting between Witkoff and Kushner and Ukraine’s national security secretary, Rustem Umerov, and Brig Gen Andriy Hnatov was the sixth round of talks in two weeks. They will meet again in Florida on Saturday.
In the statement the four said Ukraine’s priority is “securing a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty, ensures the safety of Ukrainians, and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future”.
They also discussed the US meeting earlier this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Ukraine’s post-war future, which includes reconstruction of the battered country and economic initiatives with the US.
Reaching a ceasefire and de-escalating tensions are needed to “prevent renewed aggression and to enable Ukraine’s comprehensive redevelopment plan, designed to make the nation stronger and more prosperous than before the war,” they said.
At least two major points of contention remain between Moscow and Kyiv – the fate of Ukrainian territory seized by Russian forces and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Witkoff spent almost five hours with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday in negotiations that the Kremlin said produced “no compromise” on ending the war. Kushner, a businessman and real estate investor who advised Trump during the president’s first term, was also in attendance.
Trump said those talks were “reasonably good”, but it was too soon to say what would happen.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “the world clearly feels that there is a real opportunity to end the war”, but negotiations must be “backed by pressure on Russia”.