Washington, Dec 22 (IANS) Separate US talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials over the weekend in Florida were “productive and constructive,” US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has said.
“Over the last two days in Florida, the Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings with the American delegation to advance President Trump’s peace plan on Ukraine,” Witkoff said in a post on social platform X.
“Russia remains fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine,” he said. “Russia highly values the efforts and support of the United States to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and re-establish global security.”
Earlier on Sunday, Witkoff also described separate talks held over the past three days among the United States, Ukraine and European representatives in Florida as “productive and constructive,” reports Xinhua news agency.
According to Witkoff, the US-Ukraine discussions focused on four key documents: further development of a 20-point plan, alignment of positions on a multilateral security guarantee framework, alignment of positions on a US security guarantee framework for Ukraine, and further development of an economic and prosperity plan.
“Particular attention was given to discussing timelines and the sequencing of next steps,” he said.
“Ukraine remains fully committed to achieving a just and sustainable peace,” Witkoff said. “Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity.”
Witkoff noted the Ukrainian delegation included Rustem Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, and Andriy Hnatov, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The US delegation in separate talks with Russia and Ukraine included Witcoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House staff member Josh Gruenbaum.
“Key European National Security Advisors also joined the discussions to align on a shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States, and Europe,” Witkoff noted, saying Ukraine would continue “close coordination” with both the United States and Europe.
During his annual year-end press conference in Moscow on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia agrees to end the Ukraine crisis through negotiations, while underscoring Russia’s battlefield advantages in Ukraine. He added that now “the ball is entirely in the court of Ukraine and its European sponsors.”
–IANS
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