At the conclusion of three days of meetings with European allies, a joint statement was made by special US envoy Steve Witkoff and head negotiator Rustem Umerov. The purpose of the talks was to work to develop an alignment of views on a proposed 20-point plan, a multilateral security guarantee framework, a US security guarantee framework for Ukraine, and an economic and prosperity plan.
As identified in the Joint Statement, the greatest objective of both Witkoff and Umerov is to stop the killing, to guarantee the safety of the Ukrainian people, and to establish the conditions necessary for the long-term recovery, stabilization, and prosperity of Ukraine. In addition to these discussions, separate meetings were held in Miami between US officials and Russian representatives, including Kirill Dmitriev.
Continued Pressure and Maritime Developments
Witkoff stated that the meetings with Russian representatives were "constructive and productive" and noted that "Russia is still committed to reaching a negotiated peace within the country of Ukraine." However, the US and Russia continue to disagree on several issues, including the fact that Russia is demanding to keep the land that Russia has already taken from Ukraine.The diplomatic meetings between US and Ukrainian officials at the Miami Forum were held in conjunction with weeks of intense activity prompted by a "28-point" leaked US proposal for peace that, in the opinion of both Ukrainian and European officials alike, seemed to heavily favor Russia, and followed Russia's launching of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. The assessment of US intelligence analysts continues to indicate that Russian President Putin intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim a significant portion of Europe that was once part of the former Soviet Union. "If Russia is respected in its interests, after Ukraine, there will be no more wars," stated Putin.
Meanwhile, active warfare continues. A reported Ukrainian drone attack on two vessels and two piers in Russia's south western Krasnodar region has resulted in a significant fire. Russian representatives have stated that "all crew members were rescued, with some reports indicating the oil facilities were specifically targeted.
