US and Ukrainian Officials Urge Russia to Commit to Long-Term Peace

Senior US and Ukrainian negotiators have urged Russia to demonstrate a serious commitment to long-term peace after recent talks in Moscow failed to yield significant progress. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov issued this call following two days of discussions in Florida.

In a joint statement, they emphasized that ending the war in Ukraine hinges on Russia's readiness to take steps toward de-escalation and cessation of violence. The negotiations, attended by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, are set to continue for a third day on Saturday.

The Florida talks have included briefings on Witkoff's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which lasted nearly five hours. Following that meeting, the Kremlin indicated that no compromise had been reached on the draft US peace plan. Putin expressed willingness to continue discussions with US officials as needed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed a desire to obtain full information about the Moscow discussions and any pretexts Putin may have for prolonging the war. Kyiv has advocated for revisions to the US peace plan, initially perceived as favorable to Moscow, and has called for comprehensive security guarantees, including potential NATO membership, to deter future aggression. Russia remains opposed to Ukraine's NATO aspirations, and President Trump has signaled reluctance to support Ukraine's membership in the alliance.

The Kremlin has stated that the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO was a key issue addressed in the Moscow talks. President Trump described those discussions as reasonably good but noted that it was too soon to predict the outcome, emphasizing that it takes two to tango.