Russia ready to join talks in Miami – DW – 12/20/2025

Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed to have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry, in separate statements on Saturday, claimed to have captured the village of Svitley in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and the village of Vysoke in the northeastern Sumy region.

The claims could not be independently verified and Ukrainian officials have not yet commented.

New talks are set to take place between Ukrainian, European and United States negotiators as they look for agreement on a peace plan that would end the war.

The negotiators, who are already in Florida, will meet Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the US President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev announced on social media platform X that he too is going to Miami.

It is unlikely that Dmitriev will meet with either the Ukrainian or European parties as relations remain strained.

Moscow has claimed that Europe’s involvement in helping negotiate a peace deal would only hinder the process.

The US is pushing for a peace plan under which Washington would guarantee Ukraine’s security, but it would also mean Kiev would be expected to surrender some territory.

Kiev has thus refused to cede territory to Moscow.

Ahead of Saturday’s discussion, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised that Ukraine would not be forced to make any agreements it was uncomfortable with, saying, “There will be no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it.”

Rubio said he might attend talks in Miami but did not commit to doing so.

Thank you for joining our coverage of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Talks between the United States, Ukraine, Europe and Russia will be held in Miami on Saturday as all sides seek to agree on a peace plan.

However, it is unlikely that Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Ukrainian or European negotiators Because tension remains between the parties.

Meanwhile, fighting continues, with Moscow claiming to have captured two villages in Ukraine’s Sumy and Donetsk regions and at least eight people killed after an attack on the port of Odessa.