A renewed American diplomatic initiative to resolve the prolonged conflict between Ukraine and Russia has triggered an intensive global negotiation effort. Key representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia have engaged in a series of high-level meetings across multiple international venues to discuss potential pathways to peace.
The diplomatic movement commenced on November 19 when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Turkey to revitalize peace discussions. This was followed by revelations of a 28-point peace framework jointly prepared by U.S. and Russian officials, which immediately drew criticism for its perceived alignment with Moscow’s interests.
Subsequent developments included U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s briefing of Zelenskyy in Kyiv regarding Washington’s peace proposal on November 20. Three days later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted negotiations in Geneva with a Ukrainian delegation led by presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak, with both sides reporting substantive progress.
Parallel diplomatic channels saw Driscoll meeting Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on November 24-25, though Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov indicated the new peace plan wasn’t thoroughly examined.
The negotiation landscape shifted on November 30 when a reconfigured Ukrainian delegation under Rustem Umerov (following Yermak’s resignation amid corruption allegations) met with U.S. officials in Florida. This meeting preceded Zelenskyy’s December 1 briefing of French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris regarding the Florida discussions.
The diplomatic momentum culminated on December 2 with an extensive five-hour meeting at the Kremlin between Putin and key American figures including Jared Kushner, alongside Russian envoys Kirill Dmitriev and Ushakov. While characterized as constructive, Ushakov emphasized significant work remained. Concurrently, Zelenskyy consulted with returning delegates in Ireland, acknowledging Ukraine’s anticipation of signals from American diplomats following their Moscow engagements. The diplomatic circuit concluded on December 4 with Ukrainian representatives returning to Florida for further consultations with the U.S. team recently returned from Russia.