Ukrainian negotiators arrived in the United States on Saturday for talks with President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, son Jared Kushner and army secretary Dan Driscoll on ending nearly four years of war with Russia.
The talks — expected to focus on security guarantees and post-war recovery — will take place in Miami as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches and as Moscow disrupted Ukraine’s energy facilities in a cold winter.
Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine has picked up pace since the fall, with the Kremlin insisting it will seize the rest of the Ukrainian land it declares as Russian by force if diplomacy fails.
Trump has pushed for an end to the war — Europe’s worst since World War II — and has expressed frustration with both sides, with no breakthrough on the horizon.
He also pressured Ukraine to accept peace terms that Kyiv says amount to capitulation.
“He has arrived in the United States,” said Kyrylo Budanov, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s new chief of staff and head of the Ukrainian delegation.
He posted on social media that he and his team, including security chief Rustem Umerov and negotiator David Arakhamia, “have an important conversation with our American partners about the details of the peace agreement”.
“A joint meeting with Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and (US Secretary of the Army) Daniel Driscoll is planned,” he said.
Kyiv is seeking clarity on post-war security guarantees from its allies.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States said a day earlier that the talks would focus on security guarantees and post-war reconstruction.
There are still sticking points between Kiev and Washington, with Kiev seeking clarity on post-war security guarantees, which it considers vital to deter Russia from invading again.
Zelensky hopes to sign the documents with the Americans at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, he told reporters – including AFP – on Friday.
– Thousands without power –
Territorial and security guarantees were at the forefront of the remaining questions about a plan to end the war.
The UK and France have signed a statement of intent to send troops to Ukraine if there is a ceasefire – but Moscow has rejected that plan, warning that any foreign forces would be “legitimate targets” for Moscow.
The Ukrainian team arrived in the United States as thousands in Kyiv and the surrounding region braved temperatures as low as -19C with no — or little — heating.
Kyiv said on Saturday that 56,000 families in the Bucha area – outside Kyiv where Russian forces committed atrocities in 2022 – were without power after overnight Russian attacks.
Schools in the Ukrainian capital will be closed until February due to health concerns, authorities said.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said most regions of Ukraine had power restrictions.
“Due to constant massive attacks by the Russian Federation, a state of emergency has been declared in the energy sector of Ukraine,” the ministry said.
Russia occupies large areas of southern and eastern Ukraine.
On Saturday he said that its forces had captured two more Ukrainian villages – in the regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
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