US negotiators held fresh talks with senior Russian officials in Florida on Saturday (December 20, 2025) as President Donald Trump’s administration intensified efforts to broker an end to Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine, even as big differences between Moscow and Kyiv continue to cast doubt on a near-term breakthrough.
The closed-door meeting in Miami brought together Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
How did the talks go between the US and Russia?
Dmitriev described the discussions as “constructive” and said negotiations would continue on Sunday (December 21), a claim later confirmed by a White House official who said talks had concluded for the day.
US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio had earlier indicated he might also join the discussions.
How does the meeting carry forward previous talks?
The Russia-focused talks followed meetings on Friday (December 19) between US, Ukrainian, and European officials, as Washington explores a peace framework that could end the conflict sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
US, Ukrainian, and European diplomats have reported tentative progress on security guarantees for Kyiv, though it remains unclear whether any such proposals would be acceptable to Moscow.
What did Zelenskyy say about the talks?
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would support a US proposal for trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, provided they help accelerate prisoner exchanges and create momentum toward a summit of national leaders.
“America is now proposing a trilateral meeting with national security advisers: America, Ukraine, Russia,” Zelenskyy told local journalists.
How did Russia respond to the talks?
However, a Russian source said that direct meetings between Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out. Meanwhile, US intelligence assessments continue to warn that Putin ultimately seeks control over all of Ukraine, contradicting some US officials’ optimism that Moscow is ready to compromise.
Those doubts were reinforced this week when Putin, speaking at his annual press conference in Moscow, reiterated Russia’s unchanged demands for ending the war.
What are Russia’s conditions for peace?
These include Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions and withdrawing fully from four regions that Russia claims as its own, conditions Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. Ukrainian leaders say they will not cede territory that Russian forces have failed to capture despite years of fighting.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said Friday’s (December 19) talks between US and European teams had strengthened coordination. “We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” he said.
Rubio acknowledged that while progress has been made, significant hurdles remain. “Our role is to see whether there’s any overlap they can agree to,” he said, adding he hoped a deal could be reached before the end of the year.