On Nov. 30, the United States (US) and Ukraine met to discuss a peace plan in Miami to end the three year war between Russia and Ukraine.
The United States representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukrainian ambassadors Rustem Umerovand and Andriy Hnatov were present.
“We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is, but optimistic, particularly given the fact that as we’ve made progress,” Marco Rubio, Florida’s Secretary of State, said in an interview with Reuters.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 which started the largest tactical war in Europe since World War Two. Since then, the fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian civilian casualties.
“The end goal is not just the end of the war. It’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity,” Rubio said.
The original peace plan, which was leaked to the media by a Ukrainian official and consisted of 28 points, heavily favored Russia. The plan proposed loss to eastern territories, a Russia ceasefire and a cap on Ukraine’s military size.
Ukraine and the US have met again on multiple occasions in Miami for convenience creating and going over the peace plan to reach the end of the war. The sessions have taken place at the Shell Bay Club.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table,” Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, said per Reuters.
After the meetings in Miami, President Vladimir Putin of Russia held a meeting withPresident Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, Russia.
Witkoff and Putin discussed the same revised peace plan that the US and Ukraine did in Miami. Putin said there are some points he could not agree to in the plan.
“This was a necessary conversation, a very concrete one,” Putin said after the meeting with Witkoff, per NPR.
The meeting lasted nearly five hours, and neither side could come to an agreement.
“Ukraine is closer to peace than ever before… there is a real, real chance of an agreement,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, said.
