US, Ukraine, europe fail to achieve breakthrough after three days of talks

The United States and Ukraine described the talks in Florida as "effective and constructive" but announced no breakthroughs.

Meetings between US, Ukrainian, and European delegations in Florida concluded on 21/12/2024 without any clear breakthroughs, despite being characterized as "effective and constructive" by the US and Ukraine.

The three-day series of meetings involved national security advisors from Ukraine's European allies, alongside delegations from the United States and Ukraine. Discussions focused on developing and aligning views on four key documents: a 20-point plan, a framework for multilateral security guarantees, a framework for US security guarantees for Ukraine, and an "economic and prosperity plan." Discussions particularly emphasized the timeline and sequence for future steps, though no plans for future meetings were announced.

The US delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Representing Ukraine were Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Andriy Hnatov.

Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev was also present in Florida and reportedly met with the US delegation. Images released by Russian media showed Mr. Dmitriev entering a golf club owned by Mr. Witkoff. However, the Kremlin rejected the possibility of tripartite talks, stating on 21/12/2024 that recently proposed changes to the peace plan were unfeasible.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously described the dialogues in Florida as "constructive," adding that they progressed relatively quickly. However, he cautioned that "much still depends on whether Russia truly feels the need to end the conflict."

In November 2024, the Trump administration developed a 28-point peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine, subsequently initiating a shuttle diplomacy campaign to persuade both sides to accept it. Russia supported this proposal, while Ukraine and Europe opposed it. Their opposition stemmed from the plan containing many proposals favorable to Moscow, such as requiring Kyiv to cede some territory, accepting limits on military size, and ceasing pursuit of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership.

European and Ukrainian negotiators recently sought to modify the plan, with Kyiv proposing a 20-point alternative. It is unclear which specific points were changed, but the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency suggested it is likely Ukraine would still need to cede some territory in exchange for US security guarantees.