Rubio says US-Ukraine talks on Russia war were productive but work is needed

US and Ukrainian officials completed roughly four hours of talks Sunday aimed at finding an endgame to the war between Russia and Ukraine Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters afterward that the session was productive but work remains in the search for a peace deal Its not just about the terms that ends fighting Rubio said Its about also the terms that set up Ukraine for longterm prosperity I think we built on that today but theres more work to be doneThe highlevel negotiations in Florida came days before President Donald Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff will be in Moscow to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Rubio Witkoff and Jared Kushner Trumps soninlaw represented the American side in the talks held at a sensitive time as Ukraine continues to push back against Russian forces that invaded in 2022 while dealing with a domestic corruption scandalDiplomats have focused on revisions to a proposed USauthored plan that was developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow That plan has been criticised as being too weighted toward Russian demands As the meeting began Sunday Rubio focused on reassuring Ukraine The end goal is obviously not just the end of the war Rubio said But its also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperityThis is not just about peace deals the top American diplomat said as the teams sat down at the Shell Bay Club a golf and racket club developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach Rustem Umerov head of Ukraines security council responded to Rubio by expressing his countrys appreciation for US efforts a message geared toward Trump who has at times claimed that Ukraine has not been sufficiently grateful for US assistance during the warUS is hearing us Umerov said US is supporting us US is working beside us Umerov who appeared with Rubio to deliver a brief statement to reporters after the talks underscored Ukraines gratitude for US support during nearly 4year war But the senior official offered no hints about what if any progress was made during the talksOur objective is a prosperous strong Ukraine Umerov said We discussed all the important matters that are important for Ukraine for Ukrainian people and US was super supportive Umerov has been involved in ongoing talks But until now Ukraines head negotiator had been Andrii Yermak the powerful chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy On Friday Zelenskyy announced the resignation of Yermak after his home was searched by anticorruption investigatorsZelenskyys government has been roiled by fallout from a scandal over USD 100 million embezzled from the energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors causing newfound domestic pressures for Zelenskyy It was only a week ago that Rubio had met with Yermak in Geneva with each side saying the talks had been positive in putting together a revised peace planAmong the other members of the Ukrainian delegation were Andrii Hnatov the head of Ukraines armed forces and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz The plan which Trump has since played down as a concept or a map to be finetuned would have imposed limits on the size of Ukraines military blocked the country from joining NATO and required Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days Negotiators have indicated the framework has changed but its not clear how its provisions have been alteredIt had initially envisioned Ukraine ceding the entire eastern region of the Donbas to Russia a sticking point for Kyiv Trump said on Tuesday that he would send Witkoff and perhaps Kushner to Moscow this week to meet with Putin about the plan Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in comments published Sunday on Russian state television said Putin would see Witkoff before Thursday when Putin departs for IndiaBoth Witkoff and Kushner like Trump hail from the world of real estate that values dealmaking over the conventions of diplomacy The pair also were behind a 20point proposal that led to a ceasefire in Gaza Zelenskyy wrote on X that the Ukrainian delegation would swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the warIn his nightly address on Saturday Zelenskyy said the American side was demonstrating a constructive approach In the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end he saidOn Saturday Russian drone and missile attacks in and around Ukraines capital Kyiv killed at least three people and wounded dozens more officials said Fresh attacks overnight into Sunday killed one person and wounded 19 others including four children local officials said when a drone hit a ninestory apartment block in the city of Vyshhorod in the Kyiv regionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without 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