Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s chief negotiator to hold talks with US envoys in Miami on Thursday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday confirmed Ukraine’s chief negotiator will be holding talks with US envoys in Miami, Florida on Thursday.

In a statement on the US social media platform X, Zelenskyy said he was briefed by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov on the forthcoming talks and have defined “key tasks.”

He said the first of these tasks concerns the “humanitarian track,” regarding which Ukraine hopes it will be possible to work out new prisoner exchanges.

“Second, the reinvigoration of the diplomatic process. We are in constant communication with the American side and know about the relevant contacts of our partners with the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that the Ukrainian side is working to ensure that this helps bring a “dignified peace closer and guarantee security,” and also accused the Russian side of not taking a “constructive approach even with regard to the ceasefire regime,” referring to Kyiv’s unilateral ceasefire which took effect midnight Tuesday (2100GMT).

“Third, there are several specific security-related instructions for the NSDC Secretary concerning our cooperation with the United States. Following today’s meetings, I expect a detailed report,” he added.

Zelenskyy said he and Umerov also discussed work with regards to “drone deals” with European partners, and that they are preparing the agreements reached at the highest level, as well as new steps in joint technological work.

On Wednesday, a White House official confirmed to Anadolu that Umerov will meet US envoy Steve Witkoff in the state of Florida as soon as this week.

The meeting between Witkoff and Umerov comes amid a lull in talks between Kyiv and Moscow, as the Russia-Ukraine war in general has taken a back seat in recent months to the US-Israeli war against Iran.