What we know so far about today’s US–Russia talks on Ukraine

US negotiators are scheduled to hold talks with Russian officials in Florida on Saturday, December 20, as part of the latest diplomatic effort to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, per Reuters.

The discussions come as the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to encourage both Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement to end the conflict.

The Florida meeting follows talks held on Friday between US officials and delegations from Ukraine and Europe. Those discussions focused on elements of a peace plan that have raised some cautious optimism about a possible resolution to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Russian delegation will be led by President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev. He is set to meet with US property developer-turned-diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. US Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio said he may also join the talks. Previous rounds of discussions were held at Witkoff’s golf club in Hallandale Beach, near Miami.

Earlier this week, US, Ukrainian, and European officials reported progress on potential security guarantees for Kyiv as part of broader efforts to end the war. However, it remains uncertain whether those terms would be acceptable to Moscow. A Russian source told Reuters that any meeting between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out.

At the same time, US intelligence assessments continue to warn that Putin ultimately aims to capture all of Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the intelligence. These assessments contradict statements by some US officials suggesting that Moscow may be ready to pursue peace.

Putin reinforced his position during his annual press conference in Moscow, offering no indication of compromise. He said Russia’s conditions for ending the war have remained unchanged since June 2024, when he demanded that Ukraine abandon its goal of joining NATO and fully withdraw from four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims as its own. Kyiv has rejected those demands, saying it will not cede territory that Russian forces have failed to seize in nearly four years of fighting.

Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said that Ukrainian, US, and European teams held talks on Friday and agreed to continue their coordinated efforts.

“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Umerov wrote on Telegram, adding that he had briefed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the outcome of the discussions.

Rubio told reporters earlier on Friday that while progress has been made in the talks, significant challenges remain.

“In the end, it's up to them to make a deal. We can't force Ukraine to make a deal. We can't force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal,” he said.

“The role we're trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there's any overlap here that they can agree to, and that's what we've invested a lot of time and energy in, and continue to do so. That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month before the end of the year.”

By Tamilla Hasanova