On a Sunday in late November, a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov sat down in Florida with American officials to shape a US plan for ending the war with Russia, even as missiles and drones continued to fall on Ukrainian cities. Kyiv speaks of a dignified peace built on its own priorities, while Moscow signals openness to the American framework but insists on a withdrawal that Ukraine has refused to accept. It is one more chapter in a long human struggle where the language of diplomacy and the sound of strikes arrive together, and where the outcome will depend on whether either side is
Zelenskyy Sees Path to 'Dignified End' as Ukrainian Delegation Opens Peace Talks With US in Florida
Zelenskyy says Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least three people and injured dozens.
Kyiv speaks of a dignified end, while Moscow demands withdrawal
Mark
Why does this Florida meeting matter beyond being one more round of talks?
Mimi
Because it's where the Geneva discussions are supposed to be turned into concrete steps. Zelenskyy said the results from Geneva would be hammered out in the United States.
Mark
And who's in the room?
Mimi
Rubio and Witkoff for the US, with Kushner also named as present. Rustem Umerov, who heads Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, leads the Ukrainian side.
Luke
Worth noting that Zelenskyy's hopeful words are his own characterization. 'Constructive' and 'dignified end' are his framing, not a result.
Mark
Fair. What about Moscow?
Mimi
Putin said the US plan could be a basis for future agreements and that the Kremlin expects Witkoff in Moscow this coming week. But he also said Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the territories they hold.
Luke
And that Putin account comes via CNN, from remarks in Bishkek on Thursday. We don't have the plan's text in this reporting, so we can't say what the 'Geneva points' actually contain.
Mark
So the gap is real?
Mimi
On the public record, yes. One side talks of Ukrainian priorities, the other of withdrawal as a precondition.
Luke
Same caution on the attack figures: 36 missiles, almost 600 drones, at least three dead. Those are Zelenskyy's numbers.
Mark
What would tell us more?
Mimi
Umerov's report after the Florida talks, and what comes out of Witkoff's Moscow visit.
Le Pouls
- A Ukrainian delegation is racing to Florida to hammer out a US peace plan while Russian strikes keep landing on Ukrainian soil.
- Zelenskyy claims roughly 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones struck civilian life, leaving at least three dead and dozens wounded.
- Putin calls the US plan a possible basis for future deals but makes Ukrainian withdrawal from occupied land a precondition, threatening to take more ground by force.
- Everything now hinges on the delegation's report from Florida and a planned Witkoff trip to Moscow, which will reveal whether the two sides can move toward each other.
On a Sunday in late November, a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov sat down in Florida with American officials to shape a US plan for ending the war with Russia, even as missiles and drones continued to fall on Ukrainian cities. Kyiv speaks of a dignified peace built on its own priorities, while Moscow signals openness to the American framework but insists on a withdrawal that Ukraine has refused to accept. It is one more chapter in a long human struggle where the language of diplomacy and the sound of strikes arrive together, and where the outcome will depend on whether either side is willing to bend.
A senior Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, was set to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Florida on Sunday. The talks centre on the American plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine, and the presence of presidential adviser Jared Kushner signals how much weight Washington is placing on this push.
President Zelenskyy framed the mission as a search for swift, substantive steps toward a dignified end to the war. He praised the American side's constructive approach, said the dialogue would build on the Geneva points, and insisted the delegation carries clear Ukrainian priorities.
The diplomacy is unfolding alongside relentless fighting. Zelenskyy says Russia launched about 36 missiles and almost 600 drones at ordinary life, killing at least three people and wounding dozens.
From Bishkek, Vladimir Putin said the US plan could form the basis for future agreements and confirmed that a Witkoff-led delegation is expected in Moscow soon. Yet he conditioned any end to the conflict on Ukrainian troops leaving the territories they hold, warning that Russia would otherwise seize more land.
Kyiv and Moscow now stand apart, one seeking a dignified peace on its own terms, the other open to talks but anchored to withdrawal. The delegation's report and the Moscow visit will show whether these positions can begin to converge.
A senior Ukrainian delegation was due to sit down on Sunday, local time, in Florida with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The subject was the American plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine. The source also names presidential advisor Jaresh Kushner as present for the talks, which points to how much weight Washington is putting behind the diplomatic push.
The delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said earlier that its job was to work out, swiftly and in substance, the steps needed to bring the war to a close.
Zelenskyy laid out his expectations in a post on X on Sunday. He said the delegation should already be in the United States by that evening, US time, and that the dialogue based on the Geneva points would continue. In his words, diplomacy remains active, the American side is showing a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps toward a dignified end to the war. He said the delegation carries the necessary directives and that he expects its members to work according to clear Ukrainian priorities.
In a separate post he said Ukraine is working with the United States in the most constructive way possible, and that the results of the Geneva meetings would now be hammered out on American soil. He said he looks forward to the delegation's report after Sunday's work, and closed by saying Ukraine is working for a dignified peace.
The diplomacy is running alongside continued fighting. Zelenskyy accused Russia of launching about 36 missiles and almost 600 drones against ordinary life, attacks that killed at least three people and injured dozens. Those figures come from Zelenskyy's account.
Moscow's position has been stated too. Speaking to reporters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the US plan could form the basis for future agreements, according to CNN. He confirmed that the Kremlin expects a US delegation headed by Witkoff to visit Moscow in the coming week, and said Russia was ready for a serious discussion.
But Putin attached conditions. He warned that Russia would seize more territory by force unless Kyiv withdraws, and he repeated that the conflict can end only after Ukrainian troops leave the territories they hold.
That sets the two public positions side by side. Kyiv speaks of a dignified end built on Ukrainian priorities, while Moscow speaks of openness to talks paired with a demand for withdrawal. Two things to watch are the report Zelenskyy says he expects from his delegation after the Florida meetings, and the planned Witkoff visit to Moscow. Together they should show whether the sides are moving toward each other.
Citations marquantes
The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on X
The US plan could form the basis for future agreements, but the conflict can end only after Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy.— Vladimir Putin, paraphrased, as reported by CNN
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Zee News ↗
War & Conflict