Trump envoys meet Ukraine officials for third day as Putin vows to seize Donbas “by force”
Donald Trump's envoys and Ukrainian officials held a third day of talks in Florida on 6 December, citing "real progress" on a postwar security framework even as Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his ultimatum to seize Ukraine's eastern Donbas region by military force.
This sharp contrast between diplomatic optimism in Hallandale Beach and Moscow's maximalist stance reveals the fundamental impasse threatening any US-mediated peace deal: While Washington speaks of breakthrough momentum, the Kremlin shows no sign of compromising on its territorial demands.
Progress claims meet territorial ultimatums
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner issued a joint statement with Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov on 5 December, asserting that "real progress" depends on Russia showing "serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings".
The talks, held at Witkoff's Shell Bay Club golf resort, focused on security guarantees for postwar Ukraine, reconstruction funding, and joint US-Ukraine economic initiatives. Both sides agreed to continue discussions on 6 December after what officials characterized as constructive dialogues.
Yet within hours of those Florida meetings, Putin delivered a starkly different message to India Today television, declaring that Russia would take the Donbas territories "either by force, or Ukrainian troops leave these territories". The Russian president exploited his India media platform to repeat discredited historical justifications, asserting that "Kyiv is the mother of all Russian cities" as he characterized Russia's invasion as necessary.
Kremlin adviser praises Kushner as Moscow rejects key proposals
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian state media that "if any plan leading to a settlement is put on paper, it will be the pen of Mr Kushner that will lead the way". The flattering comments came as Putin publicly rejected elements of Trump's peace proposal following five-hour talks with the US envoys at the Kremlin on 2 December.
Putin dismissed portions of the revised US peace plan, claiming the Americans "merely divided 28 into four, proposing to discuss these four packages with us," and calling the negotiations "complex work," Euromaidan Press reported. Trump characterized the Moscow discussions as "reasonably good" but admitted that the path to peace remains uncertain, emphasizing that cooperation is necessary from both sides, according to Bloomberg.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Putin of inventing "pretexts to drag out the war and pressure Ukraine," noting that his delegation wanted to understand what transpired during the Kremlin meetings, according to the official presidential website. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, emphasized that "the unity between Americans and Europeans on the Ukrainian issue is essential" and stressed Ukraine needs guarantees against future Russian aggression, AP News reported.
As negotiations continue, the fundamental contradiction remains unresolved: Trump's team declares momentum toward peace while Putin publicly commits to seizing Ukrainian territory by military force, revealing a chasm between diplomatic rhetoric and battlefield realities.
