The United States has hosted six hours of trilateral talks in Miami, Florida, aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, bringing together Ukrainian and European officials to forge a unified peace proposal before winter. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner led the Friday, October 9, 2026 session, which Witkoff publicly described as "productive" — though one detail matters enormously: Russia was not in the room.
Who Was at the Table in Miami
The American side was led by Witkoff and Kushner, joined by representatives from the White House National Security Council and the US Treasury Department, according to Reuters. Ukraine sent its top negotiator Rustem Umerov, presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, Sergiy Kyslytsya and David Arakhamia — the team President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday. Europe was represented by the national security advisers of the UK, France and Germany (the E3), plus officials from the European Commission and NATO. The meeting was announced as a two-day session running October 9–10.
What the "Productive" Talks Covered
Witkoff said the session produced "constructive discussions" on "potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace," with the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine and NATO all participating, Al Jazeera reported. On the table: a post-war package for Ukraine including security guarantees from the US and Europe, a post-war economic plan, a pathway to EU accession for Kyiv, energy resilience, grain exports, and reconstruction. Territory — the most sensitive subject — was discussed only as "some ideas," with no details released.
The strategy is deliberate: agree on a common Western position first, then take it to Moscow. On October 4, Zelenskyy announced the US is pushing for actual trilateral technical-level talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine by the end of October, with the UAE or another US-proposed venue under consideration. Earlier trilateral rounds were held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in January and February 2026.
The Diesel Deal That Overshadowed the Talks
The Miami session opened against a jarring backdrop. On the same day, President Trump announced a deal for Russia to supply 300,000+ tons of diesel immediately — with roughly 500,000 tons in November, one million tons "immediately thereafter," and three million more shortly after, per USA Today. The US Treasury temporarily lifted Russian oil sanctions through April 7, 2027, driven by near-record diesel prices ahead of the November 3 US midterms.
Zelenskyy did not hide his anger, calling it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners," and adding: "I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair," the Associated Press reported. Germany refused to follow the deal, with government spokesman Stefan Kornelius saying Berlin "remains committed to the decisions on sanctions against Russia."
A War in Dangerous Stalemate
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Thursday the war had reached a dangerous "stalemate," adding: "The other way that stalemates end is through escalation" — a warning it could spread to neighboring NATO countries. The talks opened hours after a deadly Russian strike on civilian buses in Kramatorsk killed around 33 people, described as the single deadliest attack this year. Putin, meanwhile, told Trump a resumption of peace talks is unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow during last month's parliamentary elections.
The Miami talks show the US still believes a negotiated end is possible before winter sets in. But with Russia absent from the room, sanctions being relaxed on one front and tightened on another, and Kyiv openly accusing Washington of using it as a "smokescreen," the road from a "productive" Western session to an actual ceasefire looks as steep as ever.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Long Road Ahead B (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters; USA Today; Associated Press; Al Jazeera