US, Ukrainian, and European officials met in Miami, Florida, to discuss a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to a statement by US special envoy Steve Witkoff posted on the social media platform X.
Witkoff said on Friday that the "constructive discussions" had addressed "potential avenues for de-escalation and bringing the war with Russia to a close before winter, while advancing efforts toward a durable and lasting peace."
According to the US envoy, the meeting included "the E3 group, the European Commission, Ukraine, and NATO."
Topics on the table included energy resilience, grain exports, security guarantees, and "long-term arrangements for Ukraine's and Europe's security to prevent future conflict."
Witkoff also said the "productive" exchanges covered "Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and economic development, including EU accession."
Earlier, on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the conflict as a dangerous "stalemate," warning that the failure to reach a negotiated settlement raises the risk of further escalation.
"The other way these stalemates end is through escalation," Rubio told reporters, warning the conflict could spill over into neighboring NATO countries.
Diplomacy restarted
Also on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump that resuming talks with Ukraine was unlikely, citing drone attacks on Moscow during last month's parliamentary elections.
The renewed diplomatic push comes as deadly Russian attacks continue, including a strike on a civilian bus in eastern Ukraine that killed 33 people. Officials said it was the deadliest attack so far this year.
The ongoing talks have been overshadowed by a US-Russia diesel deal announced on Friday. President Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for driving diesel prices sharply higher.
The deal has drawn criticism from US lawmakers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European allies. Zelenskyy called it "a gift to Putin." Hours after the deal was announced, a Ukrainian drone struck a Russian fuel facility.
The Miami meeting followed visits to Moscow and Kyiv last month by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as Washington seeks to restart negotiations that have so far made little progress.
