Rustem Umerov, the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, is scheduled to travel to Miami this week for discussions with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. This meeting comes at a time when peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have reached an impasse.
According to sources, including a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of relinquishing territorial claims over parts of the Donetsk region, which Moscow has been unable to capture through military means.
Previous rounds of negotiations had yielded some progress on various issues; however, the status of the Donbas region and the lack of clarity regarding security guarantees that Ukraine would receive from its allies remain significant obstacles to advancing the talks.
Details regarding the agenda for Umerov’s meeting with Witkoff have not been disclosed. Umerov’s spokesperson, Diana Davityan, declined to comment on the discussions.
In March 2026, Umerov and Witkoff met in Florida, where they addressed issues related to reliable security guarantees for Ukraine and humanitarian matters, including the exchange and return of Ukrainian citizens. Earlier in May 2026, reports indicated that U.S. special representatives Witkoff and Jared Kushner were hesitant to travel to Kyiv, as there were concerns in Washington that new negotiations might yield no results due to fundamentally differing positions on territorial issues.
The upcoming meeting between Rustem Umerov and Steve Witkoff highlights ongoing challenges in the stalled peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Key issues, particularly regarding territorial claims and security guarantees, continue to impede progress.