Ukraine's top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, is set to meet with US officials in Florida on Thursday in a renewed effort to restart peace talks with Russia, Kyiv confirmed. The discussions come as the conflict, now in its fourth year, remains deadlocked amid shifting US priorities and deep territorial disagreements.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the meeting on social media, stating that Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, would hold a series of meetings with envoys of the US president. Zelenskyy said Kyiv had defined key objectives, including a potential prisoner exchange with Russia and security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine.
“Rustem and I discussed work with our European partners on Drone Deals. We are preparing the agreements reached at the highest level, as well as new steps in joint technological work,” Zelenskyy wrote, highlighting the broader European dimension of Ukraine's defense strategy.
Stalled Talks and Shifting US Focus
US-mediated negotiations to end Europe's most severe conflict since World War II have shown little progress since February, when Washington redirected its attention to its military campaign against Iran. The shift has left the peace process in limbo, despite President Donald Trump's earlier push for both Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate.
Umerov last met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida in late March. Since then, months of talks have failed to bridge the gap between the warring parties. The already fragile process was further sidelined from late February, when the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran began.
Even before the Middle East conflict, Russia and Ukraine remained at odds over the core issue of territory. Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines, but Russia has rejected this, demanding full control of the Donetsk region, parts of which remain under Ukrainian control—a condition Kyiv deems unacceptable.
Kremlin Announces Ceasefire for Victory Day
Amid the diplomatic efforts, the Kremlin announced on Thursday a two-day ceasefire starting at midnight, timed to coincide with Russia's 9 May Victory Day parade. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the ceasefire would cover 8 and 9 May, but warned that Moscow would strike Kyiv if Ukraine targeted the parade.
Ukraine had earlier proposed its own ceasefire on 6 May, dismissing Russia's demand to halt fighting as “utter cynicism.” Peskov said there was no Russian reaction to that offer, underscoring the lack of trust between the sides. The ceasefire announcement follows a pattern of temporary halts that have often been violated, as seen in recent drone and missile barrages that Kyiv accuses Moscow of launching despite truce agreements.
The diplomatic push comes as European allies watch closely. The EU has been grappling with its own energy security concerns, including potential suspensions of methane penalties to safeguard supply amid the crisis. Meanwhile, incidents such as Russian drones crashing in Latvia have heightened tensions on NATO's eastern flank.
For Ukraine, the Florida talks represent a critical opportunity to re-engage Washington, even as the US remains preoccupied with the Middle East. The outcome may determine whether the peace process can regain momentum or remain frozen, with Europe's security landscape hanging in the balance.
