Zelensky Hails Talks With Trump Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as Push to End Russia’s War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised a nearly hour-long exchange with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

“Ukraine has reworked a previous US-backed plan (criticised as pro‑Moscow) to avoid ceding large parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, instead proposing to freeze front lines where its forces currently hold and make any final settlement subject to referendums”

Al Jazeera

He called it a "very good conversation" that produced "substantive details" and "good ideas" to help end Russia's nearly four-year war and said negotiator Rustem Umerov would continue talks with the envoys.

Al Jazeera

Zelensky described the session as constructive and optimistic.

Multiple outlets reported he won limited concessions in a revised U.S.-led 20-point draft that has been sent to Moscow for review.

Western broadcasters and regional outlets said the call produced "new ideas" on formats, meetings and timing toward a political roadmap.

Zelensky also acknowledged there are points in the draft he dislikes.

Reporting across outlets lays out a common core: a revised U.S.-drafted 20-point framework that Zelensky presented as a political roadmap, but the texts and emphasis differ.

Major elements repeatedly cited include strong, Article-5-style security guarantees from the U.S., NATO and European partners.

Associated Press

Another key element is a monitored frontline that would recognize current positions in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as the de facto contact line.

Proposals also include options for demilitarized or 'free economic' zones and negotiated troop withdrawals subject to Ukrainian policing or parliamentary or referendum approval.

Several accounts also describe a proposed Peace Council to oversee implementation and a large international reconstruction package contingent on agreement.

Among the most contentious specifics reported are arrangements for the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the mechanics of any troop withdrawals.

“Short headline-style summary - Zelensky’s 20-point peace plan — which refuses to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea and parts of Donbass — proposes security guarantees, a ceasefire, EU accession timing and territorial arrangements that make Moscow’s acceptance unlikely”

Bankingnews

Several outlets say the U.S. floated a three-way supervisory role at Zaporizhzhia involving Ukraine, Russia and a U.S. presence.

Kyiv rejected that proposal in favor of a U.S.-Ukraine joint venture or other arrangements that would keep Ukrainian control over output and safety.

Reports also highlight Zelensky’s conditional acceptance of limited withdrawals (for example 5, 10 or 40 km in parts of Donetsk) only if Russia made matching concessions.

He insisted that areas Ukraine withdraws from remain policed by Ukraine or international monitors.

Several outlets place the Miami talks in a broader secret-diplomacy sequence that included Berlin and separate U.S. meetings with Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

Mainstream Western outlets stress the U.S. role in reshaping earlier drafts and seeking Ukrainian buy-in.

BBC

Tehran Times and MyJoyOnline explicitly link the Miami sessions to Berlin follow-ups, noting Kirill Dmitriev met U.S. envoys and that Kushner and Witkoff were prominent participants.

Other outlets report the Kremlin is now reviewing proposals returned by its envoy and that President Putin has been briefed.

What happens next remains unclear.

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia would take action or respond after U”

BBC

Most outlets say Moscow is studying the text brought back by Kirill Dmitriev.

BBC

Key issues include Zaporizhzhia, Donbas withdrawals, and the size and enforcement of security guarantees.

Zelensky has asked for a leaders-level meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to settle the most sensitive questions.

Reporting diverges on the scale of reconstruction finance and the plan's political mechanics, for example whether the Peace Council would be chaired by Trump.

Estimates of reconstruction funding and the role of international institutions differ across accounts.

Several outlets underline that any deal would require parliamentary approval or a public referendum in Ukraine.