Photo: facebook.com/rustemumerov
Talks between the United States and Ukraine in Miami focused on where the actual border with Russia would be drawn under a peace agreement, Axios reports, citing two Ukrainian officials. They described the five-hour meeting as “difficult” and “tense,” but productive.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the entire Donbas, placing it under Russian control. At the same time, according to the report, US officials want Ukraine to cede some of its territory to convince Putin to agree to peace — a painful and politically explosive concession.
The Miami meeting lasted five hours. After the first hour in an expanded format, the number of participants was reduced to three per side. The line of territorial control was almost the only topic discussed.
The US side included special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Ukraine was represented by NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov, Chief of the General Staff General Andriy Hnatov, and Deputy Head of Military Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi.
Following the meeting with the broader teams, Umerov held an additional one-on-one session with Witkoff. He then called President Volodymyr Zelensky to brief him on the talks.
“It was tense but not negative. We truly appreciate the serious involvement of the US. Our position is that we must do everything possible to help the United States succeed while not losing our country and preventing future aggression,” one Ukrainian official wrote to Axios after the meeting.
At the end of the talks, both sides expressed optimism. Flying back from Florida to Washington, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had been briefed on the meeting and believed “there is a strong chance we can reach a deal.” A senior US official also said the Sunday negotiations were “positive.”
“We made significant progress toward advancing a just peace and narrowing the gap between our positions and those of the US side. Our key goals — security, sovereignty, and a reliable peace — remain unchanged and are shared by the American side,” Umerov wrote on Telegram after the meetings.
According to Ukrainian officials, Umerov will meet Zelensky in Paris on December 1 to provide a more detailed report. Meanwhile, Witkoff plans to travel to Moscow and meet Putin on December 2.
“The main question is what the Russian position will be and whether their intentions are genuine. We’ll see what Witkoff brings back from Moscow,” the Ukrainian official added.
