Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a two-hour call Saturday with Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, discussing territory and security guarantees, two sources with knowledge of the call told Axios.
Why it matters: The call capped three days of marathon negotiations between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Miami over President Trump's proposed peace plan.
- The call followed a five-hour meeting Witkoff and Kushner had with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.
- A source with direct knowledge said Witkoff and Kushner gathered input from both sides and pressed both Putin and Zelensky to make concessions needed to reach a deal.
Behind the scenes: Zelensky called into the meeting. Kushner and Witkoff represented the U.S. Ukrainian national security adviser Rustem Umerov and military chief of staff Andrii Hnatov represented Ukraine.
- The territory discussion was difficult, a source with knowledge of the call said. Russia still demands Ukraine withdraw from parts of Donbas it controls, but the U.S. is trying to develop new ideas to bridge the issue, a second source said.
- Another key issue was U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine. One source said the parties made significant progress and neared agreement, but more work is needed to ensure both sides interpret the draft security guarantee similarly.
- "The main challenging issues concern territorial matters and security guarantees. We are aiming to ensure that the agreed solutions are realistic, fair, and sustainable," Ukrainian ambassador to Washington Olha Stefanishyna told Axios on Saturday.
What they are saying: Zelensky wrote on X at the end of the call that the discussion was "very focused" and "constructive."
- "We … went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a new Russian full scale invasion, as well as the risk of Russia failing to honour its promises, as has happened repeatedly in the past," Zelensky wrote.
What's next: Umerov and Hnatov are expected to travel back from Miami to Europe and brief Zelensky in London on Monday to discuss the U.S. proposals.
- "We need to take all the drafts and to brainstorm," a Ukrainian official told Axios.
- Further talks and meetings with Witkoff and Kushner are expected later in the week.
- "Negotiations will continue, and in-person meetings are crucial," Ukrainian Ambassador Stefanishyna said.
