The BareStory
U.S. and Russian envoys are scheduled to meet in Miami on Saturday to discuss a U.S.-proposed peace plan for Ukraine, according to an anonymous U.S. official. The official stated that President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner would meet with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The meeting follows discussions Witkoff and Kushner held in Berlin earlier this week with Ukrainian and European officials regarding U.S. security guarantees and potential territorial concessions. A Kremlin spokesman confirmed on Thursday that Moscow was preparing for contact with the U.S. but did not elaborate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday that Moscow would seek to expand its military gains if its peace demands are not met. Russia’s reported demands include Ukraine abandoning its bid to join NATO and recognizing the Crimean Peninsula and four other regions as Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is willing to drop the NATO bid in exchange for strong Western security guarantees but rejects any territorial concessions. Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian officials expect negotiations to occur in the U.S. and that he is counting on U.S. pressure to "stop Putin."
In a separate diplomatic track, a senior State Department official said Witkoff will meet on Friday in Miami with officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to discuss the next phase of a Gaza peace plan. Concurrently, European Union leaders are meeting to discuss a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to underwrite a loan for Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday called the plan a “dead end,” claiming it lacked support. Hungary, Belgium, Italy, and Bulgaria have all expressed reservations, with Belgian officials citing legal and financial risks. The Kremlin has stated that seizing the assets would be equivalent to a "justification for war."
Amid the diplomatic efforts, both sides have reported cross-border attacks. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 82 drones overnight, with 63 being intercepted or jammed. According to Ukrainian local officials, Russian drones wounded several people in Cherkasy, Kryvyi Rih, and near Odesa. In Russia's Rostov region, local officials claimed that Ukrainian drones killed three people, including two crew members on a cargo ship, and wounded at least 10 others. The Russian Defense Ministry reported its air defenses intercepted 47 Ukrainian drones.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• U.S.-led peace talks in Miami could change American policy on the Ukraine conflict, potentially altering future financial aid commitments.
• A potential EU seizure of Russian assets may escalate the war, as the Kremlin stated this would be a "justification for war."
• A negotiated settlement could create new, long-term U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, requiring future American commitments.
