U.S. Touts 'Productive' Ukraine Peace Talks, But Path to Deal with Russia Remains Unclear

A U.S. envoy has described recent talks with Ukrainian and European officials as 'productive' in aligning their strategy to end the nearly four-year war with Russia. However, significant obstacles remain, as Moscow shows no sign of relinquishing occupied Ukrainian territory—a non-starter for Kyiv.

The meetings in Florida, held over the past three days, are the latest in a series focused on a U.S.-drafted 20-point plan to end the conflict. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, on Saturday. On Sunday, they held talks with officials from Ukraine and Europe, followed by a separate meeting with the Ukrainian delegation led by senior official Rustem Umerov.

In a social media post, Witkoff called Sunday's discussions positive.

The talks were "productive and constructive" and focused on a "shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States and Europe."

Witkoff did not mention his talks with the Russian delegation. He stated the U.S.-Ukraine meeting centered on four key points: advancing the 20-point plan, establishing a multilateral security guarantee, framing a direct U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine, and developing an economic plan to rebuild the country. Negotiators reportedly focused heavily on establishing "timelines" and the "sequencing of next steps."

Despite the cautiously optimistic tone, skepticism lingers. According to six people familiar with U.S. intelligence, assessments continue to indicate that Putin has not abandoned his ambitions of taking over Ukrainian territory. In a contrasting view, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X on Friday that U.S. intelligence shows Russia “does not currently have the capability to conquer and occupy all of Ukraine, let alone Europe.”

Meanwhile, influential Republicans are calling for a harder line if diplomacy fails. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said on NBC's "Meet The Press" that if Putin rejects the current proposal, the Trump administration should escalate pressure. He suggested the U.S. should "seize ships that are carrying sanctioned Russian oil" and label “Russia a state sponsor of terrorism for kidnapping 20,000 Ukrainian kids.”