U.S. negotiators met Russian officials in Florida on Saturday for the latest round of talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Reuters, as President Donald Trump’s administration attempts to broker an agreement between the two sides.
The meeting followed U.S. talks with Ukrainian and European officials on Friday, as Washington explores whether a trilateral negotiation format could revive stalled diplomacy nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Why It Matters
The Florida talks represent the most active U.S. diplomatic push in months, as Washington seeks to determine whether overlap exists between Russian and Ukrainian positions, a key condition for advancing any peace framework.
Despite renewed engagement, U.S. intelligence assessments continue to warn that President Vladimir Putin remains committed to pursuing maximal territorial goals in Ukraine — including control over the entire country — casting doubt on whether negotiations can yield near-term results.
What To Know
After meeting U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami, Kirill Dmitriev— Putin’s special envoy — told reporters the discussions were “constructive” and would continue on Sunday, while a White House official confirmed the talks had paused for the day. Marco Rubio, Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said he might also join the talks.
Dmitriev said negotiations had already begun earlier and would extend into the following day, as the Trump administration weighs whether further confidence-building measures, such as prisoner exchanges, could unlock progress. Rubio said progress had been made but cautioned there was still “a way to go,” adding that Washington was trying to determine whether any overlap exists between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Kyiv that Ukraine would support a U.S. proposal for three-sided talks involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine if the format led to more prisoner swaps and paved the way for leader-level meetings, according to Reuters.
Zelensky said Washington had proposed a meeting between national security advisers from all three countries, adding that European representatives could also be involved.
Earlier in the week, U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials reported progress on security guarantees for Kyiv, though it remains unclear whether those terms would be acceptable to Moscow, Reuters reported.
What the evidence does not establish:
No agreement has been announced, no timetable for trilateral talks has been confirmed, and a Russian source told Reuters that any direct meeting between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators has been ruled out.
What People Are Saying
According to Reuters,
• Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, said after meeting U.S. officials that
“The discussions are proceeding constructively,” adding they would continue into the next day.
• Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, told local journalists that
“America is now proposing a trilateral meeting with national security advisers — America, Ukraine, Russia,”
• Marco Rubio, serving as Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said progress had been made but warned there was “still a way to go.”
Putin’s Position
During his annual press conference in Moscow, Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia’s terms for ending the war have not changed, demanding Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw from four Ukrainian regions Russia claims as its own.
Ukraine has said it will not cede territory that Russian forces have failed to fully capture after nearly four years of fighting.
What Happens Next
Talks between U.S. and Russian officials are expected to continue in Florida, while Washington assesses whether a trilateral framework is viable. Any expansion to include Ukraine directly would depend on tangible progress such as prisoner exchanges or security guarantees, U.S. officials said.
