March 21 (Reuters) – Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators trying to move towards a settlement of the four-year war pitting Kyiv against Moscow opened their latest round of talks in Florida on Saturday, with more discussions planned through the weekend.
Russian representatives were not present at the meeting.
“We continued discussing key issues and the next steps within the negotiation track,” chief Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov wrote on social media platform X.
“Particular attention was paid to aligning approaches for further progress toward practical results.”
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met at two sets of U.S.-brokered talks in the United Arab Emirates this year and a round in Geneva last month. Moscow and Kyiv agreed on prisoner exchanges, but no breakthroughs were achieved.
The White House described the latest meeting as “constructive,” with discussions “focused on narrowing and resolving remaining items to move closer to a comprehensive peace agreement.”
Umerov, a senior Ukrainian security official, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there would be further talks on Sunday.
The U.S. negotiating team is led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Witkoff, commenting on the talks on X, said the U.S. side welcomed “the continued engagement toward resolving the outstanding issues, recognizing its importance to broader global stability.”
He thanked Trump “for his continued leadership in advancing the efforts.” Umerov thanked the U.S. “for consistent work” in pursuing the talks.
Zelenskiy, speaking earlier in his nightly video address, said pursuing the talks was critical to clinching a deal.
“It is important for all of us in the world that diplomacy continues and that we are trying to end this war. … No one wants this war,” he said.
“The most important thing is to understand how ready the Russian side is to move toward a real end to the war and whether they are prepared to do so honestly and decently,” Zelenskiy added.
The Ukrainian president told reporters on Friday the U.S. and Ukrainian working groups would focus on bilateral documents and discuss a wide-ranging drone deal.
WORKING ON AGREEMENTS WITH MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES
Ukraine, eager to capitalize on its expertise in defending against Russian drone attacks, is also working to finalize agreements with eight Middle Eastern countries as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran escalates, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The talks in Miami were initially planned to include Russian negotiators and take place in Abu Dhabi, with a focus on finding a settlement to the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Territory remains the chief sticking point. Russia has called for Ukraine to cede the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, including areas Russian forces have not captured.
Ukraine rejects that Russian demand.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Paul Simao)
