US envoy Steve Witkoff stated that renewed negotiations aim to ensure lasting peace before winter approaches. United States, Ukrainian, and European officials met in Miami, Florida, to discuss a proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Witkoff indicated on Friday that discussions focused on potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace.
The meeting included representatives from the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine, and NATO. Topics covered in the discussions included energy resilience, grain exports, security guarantees, and longer-term arrangements for Ukraine's and Europe's security to prevent future conflict. Witkoff also mentioned that the talks addressed Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and economic prosperity, including EU accession.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted on Thursday that the conflict had reached a dangerous stalemate, with the failure to reach a negotiated settlement raising the risk of further escalation. Rubio warned that the stalemate could lead to escalation, potentially spreading the conflict to neighboring NATO countries.
Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed skepticism about the resumption of talks with Ukraine, citing drone attacks on Moscow during parliamentary elections last month. The renewed diplomacy occurs amid ongoing Russian attacks, including a strike on civilian buses in eastern Ukraine that resulted in 33 fatalities, marking the deadliest attack this year.
The ongoing talks have been overshadowed by a US-Russia diesel deal announced on Friday. Trump attributed rising diesel prices to Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, while the deal faced criticism from US lawmakers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European allies. Zelenskyy referred to the agreement as a "gift to Putin," and shortly after the deal was announced, a Ukrainian drone targeted a Russian fuel site.
The Miami meeting follows visits to Moscow and Kyiv last month by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as Washington seeks to revive negotiations that have yielded little progress.