After four hours, US and Ukrainian officials emerged from a meeting room, in which they discussed the US-authored peace deal with Russia and sought to revise some aspects of it.
When it first came out, the 28-point plan had been criticised for being too weighted towards Russian demands. The plan initially imposed limits on the size of Ukraine’s military, blocked the country from joining NATO and required Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days.
According to local media, the diplomats discussed election timelines and the possibility to exchange territories. However, no further details were provided.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the session had been productive but that a lot of work remains to be done to reach a peace deal.
“It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” Rubio said, “It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity.”
The Secretary of State said he believed the discussions built on that on Sunday, but acknowledged “there’s more work to be done”.
The head of Ukraine’s security council, Rustem Umerov, expressed his country’s appreciation for efforts made by the United States, “US is hearing us, US is supporting us. US is working beside us,” Umerov said.
His notable message seems geared towards US President Donald Trump, who accused Ukraine of not showing enough gratitude earlier in the year during an Oval Office spat with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Umerov has previously said he has been in constant contact with Zelenskyy, and that negotiators aimed at working to secure long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Our objective is a prosperous, strong Ukraine,” Umerov told reporters after the meeting, “We discussed all the matters that are important for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people, and US was super supportive”.
The talks with the US come at a critical time for Ukraine, as it continues to pushback Russian forces while Kyiv is simultaneously dealing with a domestic corruption scandal.
While Umerov has been involved in ongoing talks, Ukraine’s head negotiator had been Andrii Yermak until now. However, on Friday, Zelenskyy announced the resignation of the powerful chief of staff after his home was searched by anti-corruption investigators.
Later this week, Rubio and perhaps Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to meet with Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin.
