No breakthrough at ‘constructive’ Ukraine-US talks

MIAMI – Three days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials produced no apparent breakthrough on Dec 6, with President Volodymyr Zelensky committing to further negotiations towards “real peace”, even as Russia launched another series of drone and missile strikes on its neighbour.

Mr Zelensky said he joined his negotiators for a “very substantive and constructive” call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as part of the third day of meetings in Florida.

“Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Mr Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed “on the next steps and the format of the talks with America”.

In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will meet Mr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Dec 8 to “take stock” of the negotiations on the US-drafted plan on how to end the almost four-year war.

Ahead of the Dec 6 talks,

Russia launched over 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine

overnight, targeting critical infrastructure, such as energy sites and railways, and triggering heating and water outages for thousands of households.

“The main targets of these strikes, once again, were energy facilities,” Mr Zelensky said earlier in the day on social media.

“Russia’s aim is to inflict suffering on millions of Ukrainians.”

As with previous waves of attacks, the Russian Defence Ministry said that it had targeted “Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and the energy facilities that support them”, and added that “all designated targets were hit.”

Paris slams Moscow’s ‘escalatory path’

The talks come after Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Dec 2, with Moscow rejecting parts of the US proposal.

“Both parties agreed that real progress towards any agreement depends on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps towards de-escalation and cessation of killings,” said a readout of the Miami talks posted on Dec 5 by Mr Witkoff on X.

Also on Dec 5, US and Ukrainian officials “also agreed on the framework of security arrangements and discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace”.

Mr Macron announced he would

travel to London on Dec 8

to meet Mr Zelensky, together with the German and British leaders, slamming what he called Russia’s “escalatory path”.

“We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible,” the French President wrote on X.

He added: “We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.”

Uncertain security guarantees

Washington’s initial plan to bring an end to the conflict involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not been able to win on the battlefield in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO.

But the nature of the security guarantees that Ukraine could get have so far been shrouded in uncertainty, beyond an initial plan saying that jets to defend Kyiv could be based in Poland.

The US plan has been through

several drafts since it first emerged

in November, amid criticism that it was too soft on Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Mr Witkoff, Mr Trump’s former business partner-turned-roving global ambassador, and Mr Kushner had hoped to persuade Mr Putin to play ball, but came away from Moscow without a deal.

‘Strong impression’

Mr Trump said on Dec 3 that Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner had a “reasonably good meeting” with Mr Putin, insisting they had the “strong impression” he would like to end the war.

Mr Trump has blown hot and cold on Ukraine since returning to office in January, initially embracing Mr Putin and chastising Mr Zelensky for not being grateful for US support.

But he has also grown frustrated that his efforts to persuade Mr Putin to end the war, including a summit in Alaska, have failed to produce results, and he recently

slapped sanctions on Russian oil firms.

Mr Putin, who was in India this week meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the talks were “complex” but that he wanted to engage with Mr Trump’s plan “rather than obstruct it”.

Russian troops have been grinding forward across the front line against outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian forces. AFP