Rubio Calls Ukraine Talks "Productive"—Translation: Still No Deal, Still Begging Moscow

Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Ukraine's new chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, in Florida on Sunday, calling the talks "productive" but admitting "there's more work to be done." Translation: they're still miles apart, and the real negotiation happens Tuesday when Trump envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin in Moscow. Umerov replaced Andriy Yermak—who quit after an anti-corruption raid on his home—and spent the Florida meeting emphasizing that the U.S. is "hearing us" and "working beside us." Rubio assured Umerov the goal is to leave Ukraine "sovereign, independent and prosperous." The Kremlin will have other ideas.

The 28-Point Plan: Revised, But Still Russian-Friendly
Sunday's talks follow two weeks of frantic diplomacy sparked by the leak of a 28-point U.S. peace plan that shocked Kyiv and Europe for tilting heavily toward Moscow's demands. The plan has been "much revised," according to Trump, but the core issue remains unresolved: Russia controls or has annexed large chunks of Ukrainian territory and shows no sign of giving it back. Trump told reporters on Air Force One the talks are "going along well" and there's a "good chance" of a deal. That optimism hasn't reached the Ukrainian delegation—AFP reported a source close to them called the talks "not easy."

Umerov's Job: Sell the Unsellable
Umerov took over negotiations after Yermak's sudden exit, inheriting the impossible task of finding terms Ukraine can accept while Trump pushes for a quick deal with Putin. Umerov told reporters they're discussing "the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression," as if those issues can be settled in a Mar-a-Lago ballroom. Zelensky praised the "constructive dynamic" and thanked Trump for his efforts, then immediately flew to Paris to meet Macron—a strong ally who's far less eager to gift Putin a victory.

Moscow Gets the Final Word
Witkoff heads to Moscow on Monday for Tuesday talks with Putin. The Kremlin will decide what, if anything, it's willing to accept—and it's already doubled down on demands for Ukrainian territory. Nearly four years into the invasion, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians are dead, seven million Ukrainians are refugees, and Washington's peace plan still hinges on convincing Putin to settle for less than total capitulation. Good luck with that.

#rubio #ukraine #trump #russia #putin #peacetalks #umerov #witkoff #florida #zelensky

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🎭 The Peace Shuttle: Miami, Moscow, and the Art of Going Nowhere Fast

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's chief negotiator, landed in Miami today to meet Witkoff and Kushner fresh off their five-hour Kremlin marathon that produced exactly nothing. Trump called the Moscow talks "reasonably good" and added, "it does take two to tango"—which is diplomatic code for Putin didn't budge.

The choreography here is remarkable. Witkoff and Kushner promised Putin they "wouldn't go to Kyiv" after Moscow—so instead, Ukraine's delegation flies to them. Kremlin aide Ushakov made sure to announce that publicly, just to remind everyone who's dictating the dance steps. Meanwhile, Zelensky says

"Ukraine was heard, and Ukraine was listened to"

in Geneva and Florida. Heard, yes. Listened to? The 28-point plan still demands Ukraine cap its military, surrender territory, and abandon NATO forever.

The Europeans are scrambling too. NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels—without Secretary of State Rubio, notably—while Ukrainian negotiators briefed European national security advisers on what exactly happened in Moscow. European leaders were "blindsided" by Trump's original plan and remain deeply skeptical.

Here's the setup: Ukraine negotiates with American envoys who have no power to make Russia do anything. Russia negotiates with American envoys who've already conceded the major points. And everyone pretends this is a peace process rather than a slow-motion capitulation dressed up as diplomacy.

Zelensky says he expects news "in the coming days" on the next round of meetings. Translation: more shuttles, more dinners, more promises to "return home" instead of visiting Kyiv. The only people racking up frequent flyer miles are the ones who aren't fighting.

Peace talks: when everyone's negotiating except the Ukraine.

#Ukraine #Russia #Trump #Witkoff #Kushner #Umerov #Zelensky #peacenegotiations #Miami #Moscow

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Washington, Moscow, and a Negotiation That Keeps Slipping

The new Rubio-Lavrov call has turned Ukraine back into a diplomatic object rather than a diplomatic process. Moscow says the conversation was about Ukraine and Iran and was initiated by Russia, while Washington frames it as part of the usual channel maintenance.

At the same time, Umerov’s name keeps circling the Energoatom corruption case, which gives every delay in the peace track a second meaning.

The official line says the meetings are still alive; the political reality is that the people meant to run them are now being measured against an investigation that makes every pause look deliberate.

That is what happens when diplomacy and domestic scandal start occupying the same calendar. One side wants a real ceasefire, the other wants leverage, and the Ukrainian delegation is stuck between the optics of negotiation and the machinery of self-protection.

The result is a peace process that keeps moving in theory while the actual incentives keep pulling it sideways.

#Ukraine #Russia #US #Lavrov #Rubio #Umerov

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