A Kremlin envoy is slated to meet U.S. officials in Miami this weekend, marking a new round of talks as the Trump administration pushes for a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Miami Meeting Set
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is scheduled to sit down with Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, on Saturday in Miami. An American official speaking on condition of anonymity previewed the meeting, which has not yet been publicly announced. The talks will follow earlier meetings in Berlin with Ukrainian and European officials, where U.S. security guarantees for Kyiv, territorial concessions, and other elements of the American-authored plan were discussed.
U.S. and Russian Diplomatic Context
Asked about the Miami meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow was preparing for contacts with the U.S. to learn about the results of the Berlin talks, but he did not provide further details. Trump’s extensive diplomatic push began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and has encountered sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies rejected the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks. Putin wants all areas in four key regions captured by his forces, as well as the Crimean Peninsula-annexed in 2014-to be recognized as Russian territory. He has also demanded that Ukraine withdraw from some eastern Ukrainian areas that Moscow’s forces have not yet captured, a demand that Ukraine has rejected.
The Kremlin insists that Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO and warns that Moscow will not accept the deployment of any NATO troops, viewing them as a “legitimate target.”
Zelenskyy’s Position
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was asked Thursday about comments last week that were interpreted as him renouncing Ukraine’s NATO bid and about whether he would amend Ukraine’s constitution to remove the reference to joining NATO. He said he saw no reason to do that.
“My words cannot be interpreted in any other way,” Zelenskyy said. “Our position remains unchanged.” He added that the United States does not see Ukraine in NATO “for now,” but that “politicians change.”
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials were expected to hold negotiations in the U.S. on Friday or Saturday. “We have progress in our dialogue with the American side regarding some of our points, they also speak with Russian side,” he said during a visit to Brussels, where EU leaders were set to decide whether to use tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to underwrite a loan to meet Ukraine’s military and financial needs over the next two years.
“We are in the war and United States are decision-makers, who can really stop Putin and I count on this,” Zelenskyy said. “I really count on pressure from United States. Putin does not want to stop this war, but he can if United States will pressure more.”
Recent Aerial Skirmishes
As European allies gathered for the high-stakes summit, Russia and Ukraine exchanged more aerial attacks. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 82 drones of various types at Ukraine overnight, 63 of which were intercepted or jammed.
In Cherkasy, Russian drones that targeted critical infrastructure wounded six people and left parts of the city without electricity, regional administration head Ihor Taburets said. Russian drones also wounded four people in Kryvyi Rih and seven near Odesa, according to local officials.
In Russia’s Rostov region, three people were killed by Ukrainian drones overnight, including two crew members of a cargo ship that was hit in Rostov-on-Don and a man who died in Bataysk. At least ten others were wounded, local officials reported. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 47 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Key Takeaways
- A Kremlin envoy will meet U.S. officials in Miami this weekend to discuss a U.S. plan for ending the war in Ukraine.
- Putin’s demands include recognition of Russian control over four key regions and Crimea, and a withdrawal of Ukraine from certain eastern areas.
- Zelenskyy maintains Ukraine’s NATO membership stance and expects U.S. pressure to influence Putin’s decisions.
- Recent drone attacks have intensified, with Russia launching 82 drones and Ukraine’s air defenses intercepting 47.
The unfolding diplomatic efforts and ongoing aerial hostilities underscore the complex and volatile nature of the conflict, with both sides continuing to push their respective positions while international actors seek a path to peace.
