LONDON — U.S. and Ukrainian representatives will continue discussions on a possible framework for a peace deal to end Russia’s large-scale invasion of its neighbor on Saturday, the State Department said in a statement, following meetings between the two teams in Miami this week.
The State Department spokesperson’s office said in a statement Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held “constructive discussions” with the Ukrainian delegation this week about “advancing a credible path toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
The statement said the two delegations agreed on a framework of security arrangements and necessary deterrence capabilities that the State Department said will lead to a “lasting peace” between Ukraine and Russia.
The State Department’s statement on Friday did not provide further details about the framework of any security agreement.
This photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on December 6, 2025 shows a fire at an airstrike site in the kyiv region, Ukraine.
Brochure/UCRAI STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE
kyiv has long said it cannot accept any peace deal that does not include concrete security guarantees from its Western partners, including U.S. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and its government has warned that without such protections, Russia could be emboldened to launch new rounds of aggression in the future.
Delegations from the United States and Ukraine met in Miami for talks Thursday and Friday. The teams will meet again on Saturday to “continue to advance discussions,” according to the State Department statement.
The readout said the Ukrainian delegation, led by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country’s National Security and Defense Council, “reaffirmed that Ukraine’s priority is to secure an agreement that protects its independence and sovereignty, guarantees the security of Ukrainians and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future.”
The statement also said U.S. envoys discussed their recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as well as “measures that could lead to ending this war.”
“Both sides agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia’s willingness to show a serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and a cessation of killings,” the statement added.
Ahead of the first meeting in Miami on Thursday, Zelenskyy said in a social media post that his team’s task was to “get complete information about what was said in Russia and what other pretexts Putin has invented to prolong the war and put pressure on Ukraine,” referring to Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Russian capital earlier in the week.
“Ukraine is prepared for any possible development and, of course, we will work as constructively as possible with all our partners to ensure that peace is achieved,” Zelenskyy added. “Only a dignified peace provides real security, and we fully understand that this requires, and will continue to require, the support of our partners.”
The Kremlin’s public statements suggest that it maintains its maximalist demands, which include Ukraine’s withdrawal from territories still partially under kyiv’s control in the east of the country. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected that proposal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Kremlin Economic Envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Kremlin Assistant Yuri Ushakov, meets with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in Moscow, December 2, 2025.
Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik via AP
Putin is projecting confidence, stating last week that there is “positive dynamics” across the front despite high Russian casualty rates – according to reports from Kiev – and slow progress on the battlefield. Russia, the president stated, is “ready in principle” to “fight to the last Ukrainian.”
Both Russia and Ukraine maintain their long-range strike campaigns amid the latest diplomatic push from the White House.
Ukraine’s air force said Saturday morning that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles (17 of them ballistic) into the country overnight. The air force said 585 drones and 30 missiles were shot down or suppressed. Drone and missile hits were reported at 29 locations, the air force said.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down at least 121 Ukrainian drones from Friday night to Saturday morning.
