US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center L), flanked by White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian officials headed by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov (center R) in Hallandale Beach, Florida on November 30, 2025. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off high stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida on Sunday, November 30, as the United States pushes to end Russia's war against its neighbor. The talks come as Kyiv faces mounting military and political pressure, and they precede a visit next week to Moscow by President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who is expected to discuss Ukraine diplomacy.
"This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the negotiations.
Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also attending the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami. The Ukrainian delegation was being led by security council secretary Rustem Umerov.
"We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off.
