Russia say peace deal hampered by changes – DW – 12/21/2025

The Kremlin emphasized that three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States were not on the cards, despite diplomats from all parties currently being in Miami.

According to Russian news agencies, Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that discussions for such a meeting had not taken place and no preparation was therefore being made.

The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Washington had spoken of a possible trilateral format, though he too expressed scepticism.

Despite saying it would be a logical step for a first face-to-face meeting in almost six months between Russia and Ukraine, Zelenskyy added: “I am not sure that anything new could come of it.” 

On Saturday, Ukrainian and European negotiators met with US diplomats while Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also travelled to Florida to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in a separate meeting at different locations.

Those talks will continue on Sunday, after which Ushakov said Dmitriev “will return to Moscow, make his report, and we will discuss what to do next.”

Meanwhile, Ushakov also expressed doubts that any changes put forward by European and Ukrainian diplomats to the current US peace plan would yield a positive outcome.

“I am sure that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or ‍are trying to make definitely do ​not improve ​the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace,” he said.

As fierce fighting continues on Ukraine’s eastern frontline, soldiers say any peace deal that trades territory for an end to the war is unacceptable.

At the same time, Kyiv is bolstering European backing following Tuesday’s talks in Berlin as it seeks leverage in ongoing US-led negotiations.

Officials from Russia and the United States ended a day of peace talks in the southern US state of Florida and will continue their efforts on Sunday. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters that the meeting with US counterparts Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been constructive. 

“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Dmitriev said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio might also join the talks, Dmitriev had said.

Saturday’s negotiations with Russia come after the US spent Friday in talks with Ukraine and European officials. They reported progress on security guarantees for Ukraine. However, it remains unclear to what extent Moscow will accept those terms.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to put more pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

“America must clearly say: if not diplomacy, then there will be full pressure,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist.”

Zelenskyy also called for increased arms supplies to Ukraine and sanctions on the entire Russian economy.

Earlier on Saturday, the Ukrainian president said that Washington had proposed trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States (see entry below).

Sporting authorities in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to ease restrictions against athletes from Russia and Belarus.

In a joint letter sent to IOC president Kirsty Coventry, the Baltic trio’s respective National Olympic committees said they had “fundamental concerns” about a recent IOC recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian youth athletes to compete internationally under their countries’ flags.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have only been allowed to compete in some sports as neutrals, while they have been completely banned from participating in others.

The restrictions were imposed in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which Belarus has supported.

“We strongly oppose any measure that would permit athletes representing Russia or Belarus to participate under national flags, anthems, colours, uniforms, or as team entries while the ongoing aggression against Ukraine continues,” the statement said.

 “We firmly believe that the credibility of Olympism depends on the consistent defence of peace, human dignity, and respect for international law,” it added.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, has arrived in Miami.

Dmitriev is set for talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, Russian sources told AFP and Reuters news agencies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States has offered a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which would include American and possibly European envoys.

“The US said they would have a separate meeting with representatives of Russia. And they proposed the following format, as far as I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia, and, since there are representatives of Europe there, probably ‍Europe as well,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv.

Kyiv will decide on the format after assessing whether the bilateral discussions with US negotiators that resumed on Friday are positive. Zelenskyy said he planned to discuss the matter with Ukraine’s delegation chief, Rustem Umerov.

Ukraine and Russia have not negotiated face-to-face since July, but US-led shuttle diplomacy to end the nearly four-year-long war has intensified in recent weeks. 

US negotiators were set to meet with Russian officials in Florida on Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that any election in Ukraine cannot be held in Russia-occupied parts of the country.

He also said that the voting process can only take place if security is ensured.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Moscow must not have a say in organizing elections in Ukraine.

His statement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes so that Kyiv could hold a presidential ballot.

“It is not Putin who decides when and in what format the elections in Ukraine will take place,” Zelenskyy said. 

He added that Ukraine’s foreign minister had begun work on the infrastructure needed to enable Ukrainians living abroad to vote.

Ukrainian forces say they used drones overnight to attack and damage a Russian warship in the Caspian Sea, some 1,800 kilometers (1,118.4 miles) from the Ukrainian coast.

The General Staff in Kyiv wrote on Telegram on Saturday that the Russian ship ‘Ochotnik’ was on patrol near an oil and gas production platform when it was hit.

Additionally, a drilling platform said to belong to Lukoil was also struck. According to the General Staff, the facility helps supply Russian forces.

That information could not be independently verified, and there has been no confirmation from Russian authorities.

Lukoil was sanctioned by the US Treasury, along with Russia’s other largest oil company, Rosneft, in late October over what Washington called Moscow’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine, which has recently intensified attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, says they are legitimate targets as they are used to fund Russia’s war efforts.

Eight people have been killed and at least 27 wounded following a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa late on Friday, emergency services have said.

According to a Telegram post from the Ukrainian Emergency Service, some of those injured were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the strike.

Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region, said the port was struck by ballistic missiles. Trucks and cars in a parking lot were damaged as a result.

There was no immediate confirmation of the strike by Moscow. However, on Saturday morning the Russian Defense Ministry announced it had struck on Friday unspecified “transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

They also claimed to have aimed at energy facilities supplying Kyiv’s war efforts.

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

The Defense Ministry claimed in separate statements on Saturday to have captured the ‍village of Svitle 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 authorities have yet to comment.

New talks are set to take place between Ukrainian, European and United States negotiators as they continue to seek an agreement to a peace plan that would bring an end to the war.

Negotiators, who are already in Florida, will meet with 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 was also heading to Miami.

It is unlikely that Dmitriev will meet with anyone from the Ukrainian or European parties with the relationship continuing to be strained. 

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

The US have been pushing for a peace plan that would see Washington offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but would also mean Kyiv will likely be expected to surrender some territory.

Kyiv has thus rejected ceding territory to Moscow.

Ahead of Saturday’s discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised Ukraine would not be forced into making any agreement they were uncomfortable with, saying “there’s no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it.” 

Rubio said he may join the talks in Miami but did not commit to doing so.

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

On Saturday, talks between the United States, Ukraine, Europe and Russia will take place in Miami as all parties seek to agree to a peace plan.

However, it is unlikely that Russia’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Ukrainian or European negotiators as tensions between the parties remain high.

Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage, with Moscow claiming to have captured two villages in Ukraine’s Sumy and Donetsk regions and at least eight people have been killed following a strike on Odesa’s port.