Miami Peace Talks Stall: Territory and Security Guarantees Keep Ukraine, U.S. and Russia at Odds

Three Days of Talks End Without Breakthrough

Three days of marathon discussions in Miami between U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov concluded this weekend without a breakthrough, Ukrainian officials said. The meeting aimed to advance a proposed peace framework with Russia but left key questions unresolved.

Main Obstacles: Territory And Security Guarantees

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishyna said that "difficult issues remain," adding that "both sides continue working to shape realistic and acceptable solutions." She said the principal sticking points are territorial arrangements and reliable security guarantees, and that teams are exploring optimal formats to address them.

"The main challenges at this stage concern questions of territory and guarantees, and we are actively seeking optimal formats for addressing them," Stefanishyna said.

Ukraine has repeatedly said any just end to the war must include dependable security assurances and must not force the country to cede additional territory to Russia.

Context And Diplomatic Moves

The Miami sessions followed a visit by Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow. President Donald Trump said the U.S. delegation had a "very good meeting" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested Putin "would like to see the war ended," though no immediate breakthrough resulted.

As the Miami talks began, Putin told reporters in India that Russia intends to seize Ukraine's eastern Donbas region "by any means," a remark that underscores the risks inherent in negotiating territorial terms.

Zelensky, Next Steps And European Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted that he had a "long" and "constructive" phone conversation with Witkoff, Kushner and the Ukrainian Miami delegation. He said they covered many aspects that could "ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a new Russian full-scale invasion," and agreed on next steps. Zelensky said he expects Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov to deliver a detailed, in‑person report.

President Zelensky also flagged concerns about the risk that Russia might fail to honor commitments, noting that this risk figured in the conversations. Separately, Zelensky is set to meet French, British and German leaders in London to discuss peace terms and the "ongoing negotiations within the framework of the American mediation," French President Emmanuel Macron said.

What To Watch

Observers will be watching whether negotiators find a viable package of security guarantees acceptable to Ukraine, whether territorial questions can be frozen or resolved, and how European leaders will respond in the upcoming London talks. For now, diplomacy continues but major gaps remain.