Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently received a briefing from his negotiation team following discussions with an American delegation in Florida. The talks focused on security guarantees and pathways to end the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In a social media update, Zelensky emphasized the critical nature of establishing robust security assurances to facilitate peace. He remarked, “The key to peace lies in security,” underscoring the urgency of these discussions.
He also pointed out that the geopolitical landscape has been complicated by the war against Iran, which he believes has emboldened Russia. Zelensky stated, “The fundamental circumstances have not changed. Russia continues its aggression and destabilization efforts in Europe, supporting the Iranian regime with intelligence and prolonging conflicts in the region. This persistent threat of war must be addressed collectively by the U.S., Europe, and other global actors.”
Zelensky called for high-level meetings among leaders to effectively resolve these issues. He directed his team to engage actively with international partners to ensure that diplomacy addresses not only security concerns but also humanitarian issues, such as prisoner exchanges.
The Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, arrived in Miami on March 21. Alongside Umerov were Kirill Budanov, head of the Office of the President, and David Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction.
Following the first day of talks, Zelensky reported that the delegation had met with representatives from former President Donald Trump’s administration, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Umerov noted that the discussions focused on aligning approaches to achieve practical outcomes.
Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Russia would not participate in upcoming peace negotiations regarding the conflict with Ukraine in the U.S.
On February 17-18, a separate round of trilateral talks took place in Geneva involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. Umerov reported that discussions were centered on practical matters and potential solutions, with delegations continuing to work in smaller groups after the initial meetings.
On the first day of talks, Umerov held a meeting with representatives from the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany, Italy, and Switzerland to synchronize strategies for the next steps. Witkoff described the initial day of discussions as yielding “significant progress,” with both sides agreeing to update their leaders and continue working towards a peace agreement.
The second day of negotiations featured intense discussions, according to Umerov, who noted that both political and military tracks were addressed. Topics included security parameters and the mechanisms for implementing potential agreements. He added that some issues were clarified while others would require further coordination. The next step involves reaching a consensus to present the developed solutions to the presidents.
Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky characterized the talks as “challenging but businesslike.” Zelensky mentioned that the negotiations had fostered a constructive atmosphere regarding ceasefire monitoring, with the U.S. committed to participating in this process.
Budanov indicated that another meeting would be scheduled in the near future as discussions continue.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has received updates from his negotiation team following discussions with U.S. representatives in Florida. The focus remains on establishing security guarantees and addressing humanitarian issues as the conflict with Russia continues.