Negotiations between representatives of Ukraine, the US, European countries and NATO in Miami ended earlier than planned. The meeting was dedicated to possible ways to de-escalate and end the war with Russia.
“There will be no tomorrow. The talks in Miami ended earlier than planned“, wrote Alex Raufoglou, senior correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Washington.
The US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff described the talks as constructive. According to him, the participants discussed short-term measures to prepare for the winter, including Ukraine's energy sustainability and grain exports.
Also on the agenda were guarantees for Ukraine's security, long-term arrangements for the security of Ukraine and Europe, as well as measures to prevent future conflicts. The talks also covered post-war reconstruction, Ukraine's economic development and the country's prospects for membership in the European Union.
“The productive exchange of views allowed us to determine the directions for work before the next contacts of the United States with Russia“, said Witkoff. No specific agreement or date for the next meeting was announced.
The meeting was planned for two days
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on October 8 that a Ukrainian delegation would hold talks in the United States. It included the chairman of the parliamentary group “Servant of the People“ David Arakhamia, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, the head of the presidential administration Kirill Budanov and the first deputy head of the administration Sergey Kislitsa.
A day earlier, “Axios“ reported that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner intended to present new ideas and proposals for breaking the diplomatic deadlock. The talks in Miami were expected to last two days.
The talks come amid a dispute between Washington and Kiev
The meeting took place after Donald Trump announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on Russian diesel. Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the decision, calling it “an absolutely terrible step” and said that it would provide Russia with additional funds to continue the war.
Zelensky also said that the Ukrainian delegation could be used as a “screen“ against the backdrop of the agreements between Trump and Putin. In turn, the Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov claims that Putin has rejected the possibility of peace talks and that Moscow will continue hostilities until it achieves “all its goals“.
Sources: axios.com, kyivindependent.com