Main points
- On March 21, negotiations were held in Florida between Ukrainian and American delegations regarding the end of the war in Ukraine.
- The parties discussed key issues and next steps, focusing on harmonizing approaches to achieve practical results.
The first day of negotiations between Ukraine and the US has ended / Photo from Rustem Umerov's Facebook
Negotiations between Ukrainian and American delegations on ending the war in Ukraine took place in Florida on March 21. The meeting of the parties will continue tomorrow.
Details about the progress of the negotiations were provided by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov.
What is known about the negotiations between Ukraine and the United States in Florida?
Ukraine was represented at the negotiating table, in addition to Umerov, by the head of the Servant of the People faction, David Arakhamia, the head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Budanov, and his deputy, Serhiy Kyslytsia.
The American delegation consisted of Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum, and US State Department senior policy advisor Chris Curran.
According to Umerov, the parties continued to discuss key issues and further steps within the negotiation track.
Particular attention was paid to coordinating approaches for further progress towards practical results… We will continue the work tomorrow,
– the official noted.
As a reminder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously named the key tasks of the Ukrainian delegation during its visit to the United States:
- agree on the parameters of a tripartite meeting to end the war;
- prepare all documents for negotiations;
- discuss the purchase of missiles through the PURL program and the strategic “drone deal” initiative for maritime and long-range drones, as well as the exchange of combat experience and training.
Peace talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia: a timeline of events
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Zelensky explained that only the political part of the Ukrainian delegation went to the United States, but the military group did not. There was progress in the military format in the previous round of negotiations, but there is still no political will for negotiations. Therefore, the political subgroup is conducting direct negotiations with the Americans.
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Earlier, the president also said that the Russians refused to go to the United States, suggesting other countries for the meeting. However, the Americans did not want to leave their country amid the events in the Middle East.
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Zelensky reported that Ukraine has received signals about the possible resumption of negotiations with Russia, but there is a risk that Moscow will approach them with a sense of a strengthened position. This is influenced by the delay in the 20th package of EU sanctions, the easing of sanctions by the US, the rise in oil prices due to Iran, the active use of air defense in the Middle East and the uncertainty with the European support package of 90 billion euros. All this may give Russia arguments to strengthen its demands in the negotiations.
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By the way, Donald Trump continues to accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of intransigence and says that it is easier for him to negotiate with Putin.