US, Russian Negotiators to Meet in Miami Over Peace Deal to End Ukraine Crisis: Report

Washington: US and Russian negotiators are expected to hold talks in Miami, Florida, this weekend to discuss a potential peace deal aimed at ending the Ukraine crisis, which has continued for nearly four years, according to a report by US media outlet Politico.

The schedule of the proposed meeting remains fluid. If the talks take place, the Donald Trump administration is expected to brief the Russian side on the latest developments following discussions held last weekend in Berlin among US, Ukrainian, and European officials, the report said, citing two people familiar with the matter.

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the US side. The Russian delegation is likely to include Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report added.

Separately, Ukrainian National Security Advisor Rustem Umerov is also expected to meet the US delegation in Miami or another location in the United States over the weekend, according to Politico, as cited by Xinhua news agency.

Officials from the Trump administration said that during the Berlin talks, US, European, and Ukrainian representatives either reached consensus or significantly narrowed differences on around 90 per cent of a 20-point US draft peace plan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that Ukraine could suspend its bid to join NATO in exchange for robust Western security guarantees to prevent a renewed conflict with Russia, should a peace agreement be reached. Kyiv is seeking protections comparable to those enjoyed by NATO members—assurances that the United States has so far been reluctant to provide.

Zelensky also said that Ukraine is prepared to consider security guarantees based on NATO’s Article 5 as part of a compromise in the peace process, according to Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.

—With inputs from IANS