The Miami peace talks ended without major progress. Territory and security guarantees, the main obstacles

The intense round of talks between US and Ukrainian negotiators on a possible peace deal with Russia in Miami ended without significant results, according to Ukrainian officials quoted by international media. The negotiations aimed to identify solutions to end the war, but territorial issues and security guarantees continue to block the process.

The intensive round of talks in Miami has ended. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The meetings began on Thursday and brought together, from the US side, the special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and from the Ukrainian side, the ministers Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov. After three days of discussions, “difficult issues remain”, the ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Olga Stefanishina, said on Saturday, noting that the parties are working on “realistic and acceptable solutions”, according to CNN.

Stefanişina stated that the big challenges are related to the status of the occupied territories and the security guarantees that Ukraine is requesting to prevent a new Russian aggression.

“We are actively looking for optimal formats to address them,” she said, adding that additional details will be communicated after the information is centralized.

These themes have long been the sensitive points of a possible peace agreement. Kiev insists on solid guarantees and rejects any option that would involve territorial concessions to Russia. Tensions have been heightened by recent statements by President Vladimir Putin, who said during a visit to India that Russia aims to conquer “by any means” Donbas region.

The Miami talks were preceded by a visit by Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow. President Trump said on Wednesday that the US delegation had a “very good” meeting with Putin, who reportedly conveyed a desire to see the war over. However, the negotiations did not produce concrete progress.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had a “long” and “constructive” phone conversation with the American negotiators and the Ukrainian delegation in Miami. “We addressed many issues and reviewed key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of another large-scale Russian invasion,” Zelenski stated, noting that the next steps and the formats of the future talks with the US were agreed upon.

Then, it was also discussed about “the risk that Russia will not keep its promises”, an aspect invoked by Zelenski as essential for shaping a viable agreement. Hnatov and Umerov are to present to the Ukrainian president a “detailed report” on the negotiations in Miami.

The topic of peace will also be addressed on Monday in London, where Zelenski will meet with the leaders of France, Great Britain and Germany.