The second day of talks between the US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Florida (USA) on 22 March as part of Washington’s efforts to reach a peace agreement, US special envoy Steve Whitkoff noted on social network X.
According to him, the talks were “constructive” and were a continuation of the previous round. The sides focused on “key issues of forming a reliable security system for Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aspects.”
Witkoff noted that the US “positively” assessed the course of the talks and thanked President Donald Trump for his “consistent leadership” in advancing peace efforts.
Washington stressed that “the dialogue remains substantive and ongoing.”
The US delegation included Whitkoff himself, Jared Kushner and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
Ukraine was represented by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, head of the GUR Kirill Budanov, head of the Servant of the People faction David Arahamiya and Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN Serhiy Kyslitsa.
In the United States, two two talks between Ukrainian and American representatives concluded on 22 March, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“It is clear that the attention of the American side at this time – primarily the situation around Iran and in that region, but also this war of Russia against Ukraine must be completed,” he said.
According to him, the Russian Federation should not receive a “reward” for this war. In addition, Zelensky added, “security guarantees for Ukraine and the EU should be sufficient for peace so that there is no return to war in months or years”.
At the same time, the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov also summed up the talks in Florida.
“During the meetings focused on issues of reliable security guarantees and humanitarian track, in particular the exchange and return of our citizens. we have progress in agreeing positions and further narrowing the circle of unresolved issues”, – he stressed.
Umerov noted that at the end of the meetings reported to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the results of the work.
“We will present a detailed report after returning to Ukraine. Thank you to the United States for systemic involvement in the negotiation process. We expect that the dynamics achieved will allow us to move to the next stage of meetings,” Umerov summarised.
During January and February, several rounds of trilateral meetings between Ukraine, the United States and Russia on ending the war took place. No specific results were reported. However, as a result of the meeting on 5 February, the delegations reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war – the first in five months.
Another meeting, which was scheduled for early March in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, was postponed indefinitely due to the escalating situation in the Middle East.