There is still "much to be done" to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, but the talks in Miami between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner were "productive" with a delegation from Kiev led by Rustem Umerov, who replaced the resigning Andriy Yermak, who was engulfed in a corruption scandal.
On the eve of Witkoff's departure for Moscow this week, discussions were "tough but very constructive," a source told CNN. Above all, they addressed some of the "most sensitive issues" for resolving the war: territories and security guarantees, the points on which no agreement had been reached during the Geneva talks. For Rubio, who issued a brief statement at the end of the talks, which lasted more than five hours, "there is still work to be done, but they were productive."
Umerov was more positive, calling it a "success." On the other hand, territory and security have long been a sticking point for Ukraine. The first US peace proposal included the promise of guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion but did not specify the level of American commitment to Kiev's defense. Umerov emphasized that the Ukrainians want "reliable, long-term guarantees." Zelensky's directives, he said, "are clear: safeguard Ukrainian interests, ensure substantive dialogue, and build on the progress made in Geneva."
Rubio, for his part, assured that Washington wants to "end the conflict and create a mechanism that will allow Ukraine to be independent and sovereign, to never have another war again, and to create enormous prosperity for its people." The United States hopes that bringing a series of agreements between Washington and Kiev to the table will help it make progress with the Kremlin. But after the Ukrainians managed to secure amendments to the 28-point plan, the Kremlin questioned their willingness to accept the terms of the agreement. Putin also reiterated the issue of territorial demands, warning that Russia will take everything it claims, peacefully or by force. Among the issues discussed in Miami was a timetable for elections in Ukraine . The initial plan presented by the United States called for Zelensky to resign and call elections within 100 days of the end of the war. But this could be one of the contentious points on which agreement was not reached in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "We will talk again. These are important days, and much can change." The Kyiv leader also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We maintain full coordination, and I am grateful for the support. We discussed the diplomatic situation and have a shared understanding of the key issues," Zelensky emphasized. Viktor Orban also weighed in on the recent debate, calling on Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, describing territorial concessions as inevitable.
"Russia will retain the territory negotiated at an international peace conference, and everything west of that line will constitute the territory of the Ukrainian state, which will return to exist as a buffer state," said the Hungarian prime minister, who has always been close to Moscow. "The longer peace is delayed, the more people and territory Ukraine will lose." According to Orban, it's time to abandon illusions and face reality, as outlined in the original American plan.
(Unioneonline)
