Rubio, Witkoff to meet Ukrainian delegation in Florida to discuss Trump plan to end Russia’s war

Ukrainian officials are set to meet senior US representatives in Florida today to discuss Washington’s plan to end the war with Russia as they work through the details of America’s proposed framework to bring Russia’s war on Ukraine to an end, with Kyiv under mounting political and battlefield strain.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to meet the Ukrainian delegation on Sunday. Their talks will precede planned negotiations in Moscow later in the week between US officials and Vladimir Putin.

Diplomatic efforts have centred on revising Trump’s earlier 28-point proposal, drawn up during preliminary US-Russia contacts. The original version drew criticism for heavily reflecting Moscow’s demands, including a provision that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region, an outcome Kyiv has firmly rejected.

These discussions coincide with a period of internal turmoil for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration. A major corruption investigation prompted him on Friday to dismiss his chief of staff and chief negotiator, Andriy Yermak.

Trump has since described the proposal as merely a “concept” or “map” requiring adjustment. The earlier draft also called for capping Ukraine’s military strength, barring NATO membership, and obliging the country to hold national elections within 100 days. Negotiators say revisions have been made, though the exact changes remain unclear.

Trump said on Tuesday that he would send Witkoff and perhaps Kushner to Moscow this week to meet with Putin about the plan. Both Witkoff and Kushner, like Trump, hail from the world of real estate that values dealmaking over the conventions of diplomacy. The pair also were behind a 20-point proposal that led to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that the Ukrainian delegation would “swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war.”

In his nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskyy said the American side was “demonstrating a constructive approach.”

“In the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” he said.

As Russia advances on the front line, its forces targeted Ukraine’s capital and the region for two nights in a row ahead of the talks in the United States.

A drone attack in the outskirts of Kyiv killed one person and wounded 11 on Saturday night, the regional governor said.

Hours earlier, a Ukrainian security source said Kyiv was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea that it believed were covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil.

Russian oil terminal hit

Hours before Ukraine’s delegation was to depart, one of Russia’s largest oil terminals halted operations on Saturday following an attack by sea drones.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a group that includes US oil majors Chevron and ExxonMobil and which owns the terminal, called the strike a “terrorist attack”.

Attacks continue despite efforts to end the war

On Saturday, Russian drone and missile attacks in and around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killed at least three people and wounded dozens more, officials said. Fresh attacks overnight into Sunday killed one person and wounded 19 others, including four children, local officials said, when a drone hit a nine-story apartment block in the city of Vyshhorod in the Kyiv region.

In a post on Telegram Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russia had attacked Ukraine with 122 strike drones and ballistic missiles.

“Such attacks occur daily. This week alone, Russians have used nearly 1,400 strike drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs and 66 missiles against our people. That is why we must strengthen Ukraine’s resilience every day. Missiles and air defense systems are necessary, and we must also actively work with our partners for peace,” Zelenskyy said.

“We need real, reliable solutions that will help end the war,” he added.

With inputs from agencies