US and Ukrainian Officials Make Progress on Peace Plan as Tensions Remain High
In a bid to bring an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump's adviser, Jared Kushner, and his son-in-law, has been holding talks with Ukrainian officials for a third consecutive day. The discussions have yielded some progress on creating a security framework for post-war Ukraine, but experts say that real progress depends on Russia's commitment to long-term peace.
According to sources close to the negotiations, both parties agree that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of stalling in peace talks while trying to press forward with his invasion.
Kushner met with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's lead negotiator, at a high-end private golf club in Florida on Friday. The session was seen as a crucial step towards finding an endgame to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but officials have kept a lid on how the latest talks are going.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff also participated in the discussions and has been working closely with Kushner to develop a US-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war. The plan includes steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings, as well as joint economic initiatives between Ukraine and the United States.
In a video address late on Thursday, Zelenskyy urged Russian officials to come clean about their intentions in peace talks. He also stressed the importance of guarantees that Russia will not attack Ukraine again if a settlement is reached.
The Ukrainian side has been pushing for strong security guarantees as part of any peace deal, but Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov has rejected this demand, saying it would be unacceptable to Moscow. Ushakov's comments have sparked tensions between Trump and Ukraine, with some accusing the US president of being too soft on Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who made progress in getting Chinese leader Xi Jinping's support for peace efforts, stressed that unity between Americans and Europeans is essential in finding a solution to the conflict. He urged both sides to work together and said that Europe must have a voice in negotiations.
Meanwhile, fighting continues to escalate along the Ukraine-Russia border. Russian drones struck a house in central Ukraine on Thursday night, killing a 12-year-old boy, while long-range Ukrainian strikes reportedly targeted a Russian port and an oil refinery. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction, making a peaceful resolution all the more urgent.
As tensions remain high, it is unclear whether progress made so far will be enough to bring about a lasting peace deal. However, with Kushner's involvement and Macron's efforts to secure international support, there is still hope that a solution can be found.
In a bid to bring an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump's adviser, Jared Kushner, and his son-in-law, has been holding talks with Ukrainian officials for a third consecutive day. The discussions have yielded some progress on creating a security framework for post-war Ukraine, but experts say that real progress depends on Russia's commitment to long-term peace.
According to sources close to the negotiations, both parties agree that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of stalling in peace talks while trying to press forward with his invasion.
Kushner met with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's lead negotiator, at a high-end private golf club in Florida on Friday. The session was seen as a crucial step towards finding an endgame to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but officials have kept a lid on how the latest talks are going.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff also participated in the discussions and has been working closely with Kushner to develop a US-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war. The plan includes steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings, as well as joint economic initiatives between Ukraine and the United States.
In a video address late on Thursday, Zelenskyy urged Russian officials to come clean about their intentions in peace talks. He also stressed the importance of guarantees that Russia will not attack Ukraine again if a settlement is reached.
The Ukrainian side has been pushing for strong security guarantees as part of any peace deal, but Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov has rejected this demand, saying it would be unacceptable to Moscow. Ushakov's comments have sparked tensions between Trump and Ukraine, with some accusing the US president of being too soft on Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who made progress in getting Chinese leader Xi Jinping's support for peace efforts, stressed that unity between Americans and Europeans is essential in finding a solution to the conflict. He urged both sides to work together and said that Europe must have a voice in negotiations.
Meanwhile, fighting continues to escalate along the Ukraine-Russia border. Russian drones struck a house in central Ukraine on Thursday night, killing a 12-year-old boy, while long-range Ukrainian strikes reportedly targeted a Russian port and an oil refinery. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction, making a peaceful resolution all the more urgent.
As tensions remain high, it is unclear whether progress made so far will be enough to bring about a lasting peace deal. However, with Kushner's involvement and Macron's efforts to secure international support, there is still hope that a solution can be found.
Still, I think we should hold on to hope that these talks might lead to a peaceful resolution in Ukraine 
. It's been four years of war and thousands have lost their lives - it's time for Russia and the US to work together towards a long-term peace 
. But we also need Europe to have a voice in the negotiations, like Macron said 
. If everyone is on the same page, maybe we can finally see an end to this senseless violence 
.
this situation in Ukraine is getting crazy. Like, 4 years of war and it's all because of Russia and their president Putin. I'm not sure what's going on with him, but like he's being super aggressive and it's just making things worse.
how the US and Ukraine are trying to negotiate a peace plan though? Kushner is getting involved which is cool, I guess. But Russia's gotta be more willing to compromise or else nothing will happen. Like, I know they're gonna say what they wanna say but can't they see that this war is devastating for everyone?
. Need some world leaders to step up and help resolve this ASAP. But hey, at least Macron's trying to get Chinese support which could be a game-changer? So fingers crossed that something good comes out of these talks! 
And it's not just the Ukrainians and Russians who are suffering, think about the global impact on our economy and the environment too... 
It's not like it's going to be easy or anything, but I'm holding out hope that we can find a solution to this conflict soon 
.
another day, another attempt at peace talks... it's like they're trying to make Russia's involvement in the conflict a hostage negotiation 
. Like, have they forgotten that Ukraine is still losing lives and homes every day? 
It's always about what Moscow wants, never about finding a solution that works for everyone else. 
It's all about getting China on board with Macron, what about Ukraine's own desires? 
The kid who died from Russian drone strikes, does anyone even care? 
And what's this "security framework" Kushner and Zelenskyy are discussing, just a bunch of feel-good PR to get the headlines going. Russia's not exactly known for their commitment to peace, they've been saying one thing since 2014 
. i mean, four years of war is just insane. you'd think we'd have had some sort of agreement by now 
it's all about finding that balance between keeping each other safe and not escalating things further.
europe needs to have a stronger voice in these talks, you know? and yeah, we can't forget about the long-term commitment from russia 
. those innocent people in ukraine are suffering so much, and it's just heartbreaking to think about the destruction and loss of life 
I think its good that US President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner has been holding talks with Ukrainian officials for 3 days in a row... its like he's being super patient 
, but at the same time, I think it's super unlikely because, you know, history has shown us that peace deals rarely stick 
But what if Russian President Putin just wants to stall for time and keep the war going while Ukraine is distracted by these peace negotiations? 
It's all so confusing! 
and it's literally the most entertaining thing i've seen all day. like, the bird is trying so hard but the squirrel is just sitting there like "nope" 
I mean, us citizens are the ones paying for all of this, right? Don't we deserve some answers?
. Also, what's with all these guarantees being thrown around? Strong security guarantees are one thing, but is Ukraine really ready for that level of responsibility? 
, this whole thing just makes me go "d'uh" 
. The guy is always going off on these rants about Putin stalling, but I'm like, dude calm down, we got this 
.
, we need some actual progress here. Not just some empty promises and PR spin. We gotta see some concrete steps from Russia on de-escalation, ceasefire, all that jazz 
. That's when you know things are getting serious 
It's hard to see a way out of this conflict right now, but if we keep pushing forward with diplomacy and finding common ground, maybe we can create a better future for everyone involved 
. And what about Europe getting involved? I think Macron has a point, we need to work together if we're going to find a solution 
. We need unity and cooperation to find a solution to the conflict. And yeah, fighting continues along the Ukraine-Russia border 
. It's heartbreaking what's happening, especially with the kid who got killed by Russian drones 
.