WASHINGTON -- The United States and Ukraine will hold talks in Miami on October 9 to discuss proposals aimed at ending the Ukraine war, amid relentless Russian strikes on vital pieces of infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities ahead of winter.
The White House confirmed that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet with Ukrainian representatives on October 9 to discuss a new joint proposal covering all aspects of the conflict and aimed at ending the war, now in its fifth year.
A senior US administration official told RFE/RL that the meeting would provide an opportunity to identify areas where the conflicting sides could cooperate, even where their positions remain different.
Previous engagements had produced practical results, including prisoner exchanges, the official said.
After the initial meeting, a broader session involving European allies, NATO, and the EU will take place.
Rubio Warning
The talks follow US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's warning that the conflict has reached a dangerous stalemate, with the risk of escalation beyond Ukraine's borders.
Rubio called the conflict "a very dangerous war" and warned that escalation could include Russian sabotage in neighboring NATO countries, a strike, or other actions that could rapidly widen the conflict.
That could "quickly turn what is a war between two countries to a much broader, far more dangerous regional conflict," he said.
"In the end, we do not believe that there will be military solutions.... We think this war needs to end, and the negotiated settlement is sooner and better."
US President Donald Trump said this week that he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone soon.
Sources familiar with the plans said the Miami meeting would focus on proposals that US negotiators had begun developing with Russian and Ukrainian interlocutors during recent visits to the region.
The October 9 talks follow several rounds of negotiations held in Florida late last year, including discussions between US officials and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in October 2025 and subsequent meetings with Ukrainian officials in November and December that year.
Witkoff and Kushner also visited Moscow and Kyiv in early September as Washington renewed efforts to broker an end to the war. They met with Putin in Moscow before holding talks with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv.
Ukraine is expected to be represented by Kyrylo Budanov, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office; Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and a former defense minister; David Arakhamia, parliamentary leader of Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party; and Serhiy Kyslytsya, first deputy head of the presidential office.
Broader Meeting With NATO, EU
A broader meeting involving national-security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as representatives of NATO, the EU, and US European Command, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. local time. Talks are expected to resume later at 1:45 p.m.
Representatives of the White House National Security Council and the US Treasury Department are also expected to participate.
The agenda also includes a postwar prosperity and reconstruction plan for Ukraine and other aspects of a potential settlement, sources said.
Zelenskyy said on October 8 that Kyiv's negotiators had been briefed on the issues to raise with the American delegation, including strengthening Ukraine's air defenses.
"Yes, our negotiators have also been briefed on this for their talks with the American side. They know what to discuss and which pressing issues to raise with the American side," Zelenskyy told reporters via WhatsApp.
He added that Ukraine would separately discuss funding and air defense with European partners, including ways to secure financial support more quickly.
"Funding issues will be raised there as well -- the details of how to secure the funding sooner. This is very important. And air defense as well," he said.
Zelenskyy said he had also discussed the issues with European Council President Antonio Costa and expressed hope for a positive outcome.
John Herbst, who served as US ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush and is now a senior director at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, told RFE/RL on October 8 that he expected there would be "a good-faith effort by the sides involved," adding he did not expect a major confrontation between Washington and Kyiv over the terms of a settlement.
Herbst said any serious disagreement between Washington and Kyiv would likely increase Europe's role in the negotiations, as European governments would be reluctant to see the United States put undue pressure on Ukraine to make concessions.
Herbst also said the Trump administration wanted to end the conflict and appeared to believe neither side was likely to achieve a decisive military victory.
He also cited remarks by Vice President JD Vance suggesting that Ukraine currently has a military advantage.
Attacks On Ukrainian Infrastructure
In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.
Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, obtained a copy of a Russian-language document from sources in Ukraine's defense forces outlining a potential blueprint for a campaign by Moscow to inflict enormous suffering on civilians with attacks aimed at sharply cutting supplies of power, heat, and water.
Despite Russia's recent missile and drone attacks, Herbst argued, those strikes were not bringing Moscow closer to winning the war, while Ukrainian operations were making it harder for Russian forces to achieve their objectives.
Washington has maintained separate contacts with Russian officials. Russian presidential envoy Dmitriev recently visited Washington for discussions with American officials as diplomatic efforts to end the war continued.
