Ukrainian officials reported progress in talks with the United States aimed at advancing a durable peace framework, including potential citizen exchanges and security guarantees.
The meetings marked a resumption of peace talks that had been paused as US attention shifted toward war in Iran and the Middle East. Russia was not present at this stage, and it remains unclear if Moscow was briefed or involved in these discussions at all.
Zelenskyy: talks resumed as Ukraine competes with Iran for Washington's attention
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his negotiating team met for two days in Florida with US envoys over the weekend, noting that while the American focus is currently on Iran, the war in Ukraine must also be brought to an end.
“There are signals that further [prisoner] exchanges may be possible, and this would indeed be very good news and confirmation that diplomacy is working,” he said. Zelenskyy stressed that any agreement must ensure Russia is not rewarded and that peace is reliable, preventing a return to war in the future.
“The overall situation remains quite clear: Putin does not want to end the war. But the key thing is what the world wants. We must all do everything possible together – and we will continue to do everything possible – to end the war,” Zelenskyy added.
Ukraine says positions are narrowing – on security guarantees and prisoner exchanges
Ukrainian negotiator and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the discussions focused on reliable security guarantees for Ukraine and a humanitarian track, including prisoner exchanges.
“We have progress in agreeing positions and narrowing the circle of unresolved issues,” Umerov said. He added that a detailed report will be presented after the team returns to Kyiv and thanked the United States for its systematic involvement in the process.
Previous rounds have not moved the core issues
These meetings are part of a broader, US-backed diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine. While previous rounds of talks have produced some limited agreements, such as exchanges of prisoners or humanitarian coordination, they have not resulted in substantive progress toward ending the conflict.
The US delegation included Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and White House Senior Advisor Josh Gruenbaum, while Ukraine was represented by Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, Davyd Arakhamia, and Serhii Kyslytsia.
Witkoff described the discussions as constructive, focusing on security frameworks and humanitarian efforts, and said, “We remain encouraged by the continued, substantive engagement.”
