The Kremlin said on Dec. 21 that changes Europe and Ukraine made to the U.S. proposals were not improving the prospect of peace.
The Trump administration’s special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, said on Dec. 21 that the previous three days of negotiations between the United States and Ukraine have been “productive and constructive,” with a focus on timelines and “sequencing of next steps.”
“Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity,” Witkoff wrote on social media. “Peace must be not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a dignified foundation for a stable future.”
Witkoff said he was joined by U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House staff member Josh Gruenbaum, while Ukraine’s delegation included secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, and Lieutenant General Andriy Hnatov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The U.S. and Ukrainian teams were also joined by key European national security advisers who took part in the negotiations to “align on a shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States, and Europe,” Witkoff said.
Additionally, Witkoff described hosting a separate “constructive meeting” in a “U.S.–Ukraine format” in which the teams focused on four key documents outlining further development of Trump’s 20-point plan, aligning interests on a multilateral security guarantee proposal and on a U.S. security guarantee framework for Kyiv, and developing an economic and prosperity deal.
“Ukraine highly values the leadership and support of the United States and the continued close coordination with its partners in the next stages of this important work,” he said.
Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Saturday that peace talks on the United States’ proposed plan to end the Russia–Ukraine war were moving forward constructively with the U.S. and Ukrainian teams in Florida.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the discussions were moving quickly to end the nearly four-year-long war.
“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Dmitriev told reporters in Miami on Dec. 20, discussing U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war that triggered a trilateral meeting among the Russian, U.S., and Ukrainian teams over the weekend.
By Jacob Burg
