At the Witkoff Group’s private Shell Bay Club in South Florida, delegations and did “
And all accompanied by borscht, a beetroot and cabbage soup, and holubchi, which are traditional meat and cabbage rolls, as a sign of respect for Ukrainian culture, an elegant diplomatic gesture as the US tries to persuade Ukraine to settle on a peace deal with the .
A source with direct knowledge of the talks in Florida – which included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – said the intense negotiations, where the first round of discussions on US proposals to end Russia’s war in Ukraine took place last week.
“It would be too early to say that we have completed everything here, as many things still need to be done. Ukraine will not be pressured to formally, legally, reject this pursuit,” he said.
The historical column of Vima in your inbox
Join the daily newsletter that reveals what’s happening behind the political scenes and get access to exclusive content.
“But if the United States has something to agree with Russia bilaterally, or if Russia wants to get some assurances from NATO multilaterally, then that does not involve Ukraine in the decision-making process,” he added. A final decision on what would constitute a highly sensitive compromise – possibly unpopular among NATO states – has yet to be made and will ultimately be made by Ukraine’s president, the source told CNN.
As US-Ukraine negotiations progress and Witkov travels to Moscow for Kremlin talks, creative solutions are being explored to avoid Kiev’s “red lines”.
The thorns
One of those problem areas is the Kremlin’s demand, also included in the US’s 28-point peace proposal, that Ukraine hand over territory in the Donbass region that has been annexed but not yet conquered by Russia.
“But the meeting was very focused and the most problematic aspects of the peace proposals were discussed in detail,” the source added, hinting that temporary progress might be made in some areas.
One of the most “problematic aspects” of the original 28-point US peace proposal was the clause requiring Ukraine to formally abandon its constitutional pursuit of joining NATO, a key Russian demand to end the war and something Ukrainian authorities continue to reject.
However, the source tells CNN that negotiators have discussed a possible scenario in which Ukraine would be effectively barred from joining the US-led Western military alliance through arrangements that NATO member states would have to negotiate directly with Moscow.
The US plan proposed that the region, which includes a “fortress belt” of well-fortified cities critical to Ukraine’s security, would become a Russian demilitarized zone, which Moscow would administer but not deploy troops. Discussions are also progressing on this issue, one of the most controversial in the negotiations.
“The idea of handing over control to the Russians, which would significantly weaken Ukraine’s defenses and make a future attack more likely, significantly reducing Ukraine’s capabilities, that is out of context. But this does not mean that there are no possible solutions to preserve the constitutional provisions and the security of Ukraine,” the source told CNN.
But he declined to discuss what specific options are being considered, saying the issue is “very sensitive.” “I really think if it goes public, we might spoil the potential solution,” he said.
