US-Ukraine peace talks: The security "bottleneck" remains unresolved.
Negotiations lasting over four hours in Florida between the Ukrainian delegation and senior officials in President Donald Trump's administration ended without a breakthrough on the core issue: security guarantees.
RT, citing the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on December 1st (local time), reported that the meeting took place on November 30th at the Shell Bay Club (Hallanda Beach, Florida). Although the parties discussed the election roadmap and territorial issues in detail, the gap in views regarding mechanisms for protecting Ukraine after the conflict remains significant.
One notable point in this round of negotiations was the personnel change at the highest level of the Ukrainian delegation. The delegation was not led by the President's Chief of Staff, Andrey Yermak, as usual, but by top security official Rustem Umerov.
According to sources, Yermak, President Zelensky's close right-hand man, had previously resigned due to his involvement in a corruption scandal. The absence of this powerful figure signals major upheavals within the Kiev government.
On the US side, the meeting included Trump's close associates, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, and unofficial advisor Jared Kushner.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the work as "productive" but acknowledged that these were "sensitive" and "complex" negotiations, and affirmed that "there is still much work to be done."
According to Politico, Rubio sent a tough signal to Kyiv's European allies: Washington would push for a peace agreement before granting any security guarantees to Ukraine. This contradicts Kyiv's desire for a Western security "shield" alongside negotiations.
According to RT, sources close to the matter told AFP that the search for linguistic solutions and a compromise formula is ongoing but "not easy at all".
In addition to security, the two sides also discussed the possibility of a territorial exchange between Russia and Ukraine, as well as a roadmap for holding new elections in Ukraine.
This issue has become urgent in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement last week that signing any agreement with Zelensky at this time is "legally impossible." Moscow's reason is that President Zelensky's term ended last year, but Ukraine refused to hold elections due to martial law.
Despite the difficulties, Umerov publicly thanked Washington, emphasizing that "the US is supporting and standing with us." This was seen as a move to appease Trump, who had criticized Kyiv for its lack of gratitude. President Zelensky later stated on Telegram that there had been "some constructive progress."
However, Russia's "red line" remains very clear: Moscow demands that Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join NATO, become a neutral country, and warns against accepting the presence of nuclear weapons or Western troops on its territory.
