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Zelensky: “Some Tough Issues” Remain After Florida Talks on U.S. Peace Proposal

President Zelensky said Florida talks with U.S. officials were constructive but left “some tough issues” unresolved, with security guarantees for Kyiv and Russian territorial demands in Donbas as the main obstacles. Rustem Umerov now leads Ukraine’s negotiating team after Andriy Yermak’s resignation. U.S. officials — including Senator Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — called the sessions productive while cautioning that substantial work remains.

12:46 AM, 12/02/2025Conflict
Zelensky: “Some Tough Issues” Remain After Florida Talks on U.S. Peace Proposal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that discussions with U.S. officials in Florida produced constructive engagement but left “some tough issues” unresolved over a U.S. proposal to end Russia’s nearly four‑year war in Ukraine.

Zelensky posted the comment on X, noting he had also spoken with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and is coordinating with European partners about the plan advanced by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I briefed him on our delegation’s work yesterday in the United States – everything was very constructive. There are some tough issues that still have to be worked through,” Zelensky wrote.

Observers say the principal sticking points are security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial concessions. Reports indicate Russia seeks control over parts of the Donbas region, limits on the size and capabilities of Ukraine’s military, and a ban on future NATO membership — demands Kyiv rejects as unacceptable.

Ukraine’s negotiating delegation in Florida was led by Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council; he stepped into the role after Andriy Yermak, the president’s former chief of staff, resigned amid a corruption investigation. Umerov said his team will brief European officials on the talks and coordinate next steps with allies.

U.S. participants described progress but warned substantial work remains. Senator Marco Rubio, who joined the sessions as part of the U.S. advisory team, called the meeting “very productive and useful” while saying “so much work remains.” Also on the U.S. side were Steve Witkoff, named as a special envoy for peace missions, and Jared Kushner, the former White House adviser and Trump’s son‑in‑law.

Witkoff was expected to travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. An earlier iteration of the U.S. proposal — a 28‑point draft produced with input from Russian sources — drew criticism for appearing to favor Moscow, but officials from both sides described the most recent Florida talks as constructive.

President Trump has repeatedly said he could end the war quickly, though he acknowledged the challenge is greater than he initially suggested and said he was not setting a deadline for Putin to accept the U.S. proposal.

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