Witkoff, Kushner to pitch new Ukraine peace ideas in Miami

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet a senior Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Friday, Oct. 9, for two days of talks. A U.S. source told Reuters the Americans will present "new ideas and proposals" to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Kyiv says it will push for limited ceasefires covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, and for more help with air defense.kyivindependent+2

The meeting comes as Washington tries to secure progress before the U.S. midterm elections and before winter sets in. It also follows a public assessment by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the war has reached a "stalemate".axios+1

Who is at the table

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will send Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service; Kyrylo Budanov, his chief of staff; diplomatic adviser Serhiy Kyslytsya; and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia. "Meetings are expected to take place over two days," Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine was "counting on a European team to join". According to Reuters, Washington has invited the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany, along with officials from NATO and the European Union. Officials from the White House National Security Council and the Treasury Department will also attend.mezha+3

The American source said the talks will cover security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war prosperity plan and other parts of the conflict. The aim is to create "a unified proposal." "It will be a tough winter if the war does not stop," the source said. Axios reported that Witkoff and Kushner met President Trump on Thursday to review the latest U.S. proposal before the talks.reuters+1

Partial ceasefire on the agenda

One idea under discussion is a partial truce that would stop attacks on energy facilities and grain shipments. Ukraine has said it is open to this, but Russia has shown little interest, Axios reported. Zelensky would not predict the outcome: "I do not want to say something and then have Russia, as always, do the opposite out of spite". He said Ukraine's delegation would raise air defense with the Americans and faster funding with the Europeans. Russian strikes over the previous two days had killed more than 70 people, according to Reuters.dailymaverick+2

Doubts in Washington and Moscow

Rubio said a negotiated end to the war is out of reach because Russia insists on taking all of Donetsk Oblast without fighting for it, a demand Kyiv rejects. Zelensky pushed back. "One cannot, on the one hand, negotiate with the Russians about future economic projects, whilst on the other hand say that we find ourselves in some sort of… diplomatic stalemate," he said.newsukraine.rbc+1

Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv in early September. The trips produced an agreement in principle to hold a trilateral meeting, but Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Oct. 7 that no such talks are currently planned. A source told Axios that the envoys may travel to Moscow later this month.kyivindependent+1