Kyiv: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he engaged in 'substantive' discussions with American officials following their consultations with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. The talks, which took place over a phone call, involved US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump.
According to Anadolu Agency - English, the discussions also included Kyiv's senior negotiator Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov. Zelenskyy stated that the talks covered 'many aspects' and 'key points' crucial for ending the over three-and-a-half-year-long Ukraine war. Among the priorities was eliminating the threat of a new Russian full-scale invasion and addressing past instances where Russia failed to honor agreements.
Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine's commitment to working in good faith with the US to achieve peace. He noted that they agreed on steps and formats for continuing discussions with the US. The Ukrainian president thanked Trump for the 'intensive approach to negotiations' and mentioned his anticipation of a 'detailed in-person report' from Umerov and Hnatov.
Zelenskyy emphasized that some matters are too sensitive for phone discussions and require close collaboration between teams on ideas and proposals. He insisted that all measures must be actionable, focusing on peace, security, and reconstruction.
The remarks followed two days of talks in Miami between Umerov, Hnatov, Witkoff, and Kushner, discussing Washington's proposed peace plan to end the conflict. Earlier, Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to negotiate the plan, which was described by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov as 'constructive, very useful, and informative.'
In a related development, French President Emmanuel Macron stated his intent to travel to London for high-level discussions with Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meetings aim to evaluate the situation in Ukraine and further negotiations under US mediation.