Ukraine, US continue peace talks, say real progress depends on Russia

Ukrainian and United States officials will meet again today in Miami for a third day of talks aimed at ending the ongoing war with Russia.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a senior advisor, are holding the discussions with Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov, the chief of staff of Ukraine’s armed forces.

A statement posted on X by Witkoff on Friday said both countries agree that any major progress will only happen if Russia shows it is serious about peace and takes steps to reduce violence.

The US and Ukraine also discussed possible security guarantees that would help Ukraine stay protected after the war.

The planned peace deal suggests Ukraine may have to give up some territory currently under Russian control in exchange for security promises. However, the exact details of those guarantees are still unclear.

Earlier this week, Witkoff and Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to push the US proposal, but Russia rejected some parts of the plan.

Despite that, Russian officials described the meeting as friendly.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Witkoff “understand each other well” and noted that Kushner’s involvement has been helpful.

Ukraine says it is ready for negotiations but insists that Russia must be willing to end the fighting.

“The United States wants a quick end to the war and expects compromises from both sides,” Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said in a social media post.

The war began in February 2022 and continues with no official ceasefire in place.