Media: Ukraine-US talks in Florida leave draft peace deal unfinished

During the latest round of negotiations in Florida on November 30 between the Ukrainian and US delegations, the draft peace agreement once again remained unfinished.

A source familiar with the talks told RBC-Ukraine that the discussions were dominated by territorial questions, and the issue of Ukraine’s possible NATO membership was also put on the table, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the source, the negotiations were now focused less on the framework agreed in Geneva and more on the problematic issues that remained, and there was not yet a full understanding of the final text, though it was seen as another step forward.

The source added that Washington acknowledges its primary task is not to pressure Kyiv but to ensure any agreement is acceptable to Moscow as well.

“They understand that there is a second party, and whatever common ground they reach with Ukraine, there remains the russian side they still have to work with. And they understand that it is more difficult there,” the source noted.

Territorial matters reportedly occupied a major portion of the meeting. Acting as intermediaries, US representatives relayed Moscow’s demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw entirely from Donbas.

Kyiv, however, stressed that such a requirement is impossible, citing constitutional constraints, public sentiment, and the realities on the ground. Ukraine maintains that any territorial negotiation must start from the current line of contact.

The Ukrainian delegation also clarified its stance on NATO membership. They emphasised that the country's path toward the alliance is set in the constitution, and altering it solely to secure a peace deal would create a dangerous precedent. Another argument they put forward: no state should have the ability to veto NATO expansion.

Several weeks earlier, the US had introduced a new 28-point peace proposal, parts of which were viewed as overly accommodating to Russia. Following trilateral talks in Geneva on November 23, the document was revised and shortened, but negotiations continue.

The most recent meeting was held on November 30 in Florida. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that progress had been achieved despite the complexity of the discussions. Ukraine’s delegation—led by National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov—briefed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on what they described as “significant progress,” and Zelenskyy confirmed that further work will proceed.

By Jeyhun Aghazada