US and Ukrainian negotiators say progress has been recorded at ongoing talks in Florida, urging Russia to demonstrate a “serious commitment to long-term peace” after discussions in Moscow earlier this week ended without a breakthrough.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukraine’s national security council secretary Rustem Umerov issued the joint call after two days of what they described as “constructive discussions.”
They stressed that ending the war depends on Russia’s “readiness” to take real steps toward de-escalation and halting the fighting. Negotiations will continue for a third day on Saturday, with former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also attending.
“An end to the war and credible steps toward ceasefire and de-escalation are necessary to prevent renewed aggression,” the statement said, marking the sixth round of talks in two weeks.
The Florida meetings come shortly after Witkoff held a nearly five-hour session with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. The Kremlin later said “no compromise” had been reached on the draft US peace plan, though Putin was willing to continue talks “as many times as needed.”
Ukraine and several European allies have questioned Russia’s sincerity, noting that Moscow continues to push new demands while intensifying battlefield pressure.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted “full information about what was said in Moscow and what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war.”
Kyiv is also seeking revised terms to the US peace plan after an earlier draft seen as favourable to Moscow leaked to the media. Though the proposal has since been modified, the latest version has not been made public.
Major disputes remain unresolved, including post-war security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial concessions. Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, including large parts of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region.
Speaking to India Today on Friday, Putin warned Ukrainian forces to withdraw fully from Donbas this week, otherwise Russia would “liberate these territories by force.”
Ahead of the US delegation’s Moscow visit, Putin appeared in military fatigues at a Russian command post, with commanders claiming they had captured Pokrovsk and nearby settlements. Ukraine denies losing control of the city.
Kyiv and European partners insist that long-term deterrence against future Russian attacks requires either NATO membership or strong alternative security guarantees. Russia opposes this outright, and Trump has repeatedly indicated he would not support Ukraine joining NATO.
The Kremlin said the question of Ukraine’s NATO prospects was a “key topic” during talks with US officials. Trump described the discussions as “reasonably good,” but said it was too early to predict the outcome because “it does take two to tango.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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