Ukrainian-US peace plan negotiations have kicked off in Miami. Following the talks, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin scheduled for Tuesday.
Axios reported the development, citing US and Ukrainian officials.
The Ukrainian delegation is led by NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov. It also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna, Chief of the General Staff General Andriy Hnatov, and intelligence representatives.
Representing the American side are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, and Kushner. The meeting is being held at the exclusive Shell Bay golf club, which is owned by Witkoff.
Following negotiations in Geneva last Sunday, the parties reached agreements in principle on all issues except two: territory and security guarantees.
"The Ukrainians know what we expect of them," a senior US official said, adding that the White House aims to resolve the differences on these two issues on Sunday.
The US side expects that agreements reached with Ukraine will help facilitate progress in talks with Putin. At the same time, the Kremlin has cast doubt on its readiness to accept the terms of the American plan. On Thursday, Putin reiterated his territorial demands, stating that Russia would secure all claimed territories — either peacefully or by force.
Umerov wrote on social media that he remains in constant contact with President Zelensky: "We have clear directives and priorities — the protection of Ukrainian interests, substantive dialogue, and moving forward based on the groundwork laid in Geneva."
The Miami talks are taking place against a backdrop of serious upheaval within the Ukrainian government. On November 28, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak resigned following searches by NABU and SAPO as part of the "Midas" case. It was Yermak who was originally supposed to lead the delegation at these talks with Trump's team — Witkoff and Kushner. Instead, Zelensky urgently formed a new lineup led by NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov.
The 28-point peace plan underwent significant changes following the Geneva talks on November 23. According to European diplomats, the updated version does not propose that Ukraine cede territories it currently controls, and security guarantees have been strengthened along the lines of NATO Article 5 principles. However, on November 27, Putin repeated his ultimatum: "If the AFU withdraws from the territories they occupy, then hostilities will cease. If not — we will achieve this by armed means." According to Sky News, Putin is demanding the reinstatement of a clause recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and Donbas — a point previously removed as unacceptable to Ukraine.