New diplomatic effort to end the Ukraine war: U.S.–Ukraine meeting in Miami today

International Desk | PNN

Efforts to mediate an end to the Ukraine war are gaining new momentum. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukraine’s National Security Council head Rustem Umerov in Miami on Thursday, according to the White House.

This meeting comes just two days after Witkoff and former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held nearly five hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. However, the Kremlin stated that no agreement on ending the war was reached.

Trump described the talks as “pretty good” but cautioned, “The willingness of both sides is key, so it’s difficult to say anything definitive now.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Putin of “wasting the world’s time,” saying Russia must “stop the bloodshed.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the U.S. and Ukraine’s negotiation team will hold a formal meeting “within a few days.” In a statement, he said, “The world now sees a real opportunity to end the war,” but emphasized that international pressure on Russia must continue.

Top Kremlin diplomat Yuri Ushakov said some U.S. proposals were considered negotiable by Russia, while others were directly rejected by Putin. The main issues involve the future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and international guarantees for Ukraine’s security.

Ukraine and European countries believe that including Ukraine in NATO is essential to ensure future security, but Russia strongly opposes this. The Trump administration has also indicated that Ukraine’s NATO membership is not currently being considered.

The Kremlin said NATO was the “main discussion topic” in the Moscow talks. Ushakov claimed recent military advances have strengthened Russia’s position. Putin also claimed strategic city Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, though fighting continues there. According to U.S.-based ISW data, Russia captured approximately 701 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in November alone.

The Kremlin stated that Putin is prepared to meet U.S. representatives as often as necessary. While the U.S.–Russia talks show some softening of tone, Moscow’s distance from Europe has increased. Putin alleged that Europe is “unnecessarily complicating” U.S.–Russia relations.

The European Commission has finalized an agreement to eliminate full dependence on Russian gas by 2027. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “This is a new era of European energy independence.”

The EU has also proposed €90 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Belgium has raised concerns about legal risks associated with using Russia’s frozen assets. The United Nations has urged 90 countries to ensure the “immediate and safe return” of children taken by Russia. Ukraine claims over 19,000 children were forcibly relocated by Russia, while the UK says nearly 6,000 children were sent to Russian “re-education camps.” In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin for child abduction.