Rubio says US-Ukraine talks on Russia war were productive but much work
remains in search of a deal
[December 01, 2025]
By JOSH BOAK and AAMER MADHANI
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — U.S. and Ukrainian officials completed
roughly four hours of talks Sunday aimed at finding an endgame to the
war between Russia and Ukraine, just days before a U.S. envoy is due in
Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters afterward that the session
with the Ukrainian team in Florida was productive but work remains in
the search for a peace deal.
“It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” Rubio said. “It’s
about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity. ... I
think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done."
President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to
meet with Putin in Moscow in the next few days.
Rubio, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, represented the
American side in the high-level talks, held at a sensitive time as
Ukraine continues to push back against Russian forces that invaded in
2022 while dealing with a corruption scandal.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was briefed by them
and that “Ukraine's got some difficult little problems,” referring to
the corruption scandal, which he said was “not helpful.” The president
added that "there's a good chance we can make a deal."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's government has been roiled by
fallout from a scandal over $100 million embezzled from the energy
sector through kickbacks paid by contractors, causing newfound domestic
pressures for Zelenskyy.
Diplomats have focused on revisions to a proposed U.S.-authored plan
that was developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow. That
plan has been criticized as being too weighted toward Russian demands.
As the meeting began Sunday, Rubio focused on reassuring Ukraine.
As the teams sat down at the Shell Bay Club, a golf and racket club
developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach, Rubio said the goal goes
beyond peace to "securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine
sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s security council, responded to Rubio by
expressing his country's appreciation for U.S. efforts, a message geared
toward Trump, who has at times claimed that Ukraine has not been
sufficiently grateful for U.S. assistance during the war.
“U.S. is hearing us," Umerov said before the meeting. "U.S. is
supporting us. U.S. is working beside us.”
Umerov, who appeared with Rubio to deliver a brief statement to
reporters after the talks, underscored Ukraine’s gratitude for U.S.
support during nearly four-year war. But he offered no hints about what,
if any, progress was made during the talks.
Rubio said the talks were comprehensive and went beyond finding
agreement on ending the fighting. Trump has repeatedly said that if
Ukraine builds deeper commercial ties to the United States it can help
deter Russian aggression in the future.
To that end, the U.S. and Ukraine this spring signed an agreement
granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources.
Among measures included in Trump’s draft peace proposal is the creation
of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries,
including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence. The
proposal also calls for Washington to cooperate with Kyiv to jointly
rebuild, develop, modernize and operate Ukraine’s natural gas
infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities. Russia has
repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the war.
“We also want to help Ukraine be safe forever, so never again will they
face another invasion. And equally importantly, we want them to enter an
age of true prosperity,” Rubio said. “We want the Ukrainian people to
emerge from this war not just to rebuild their country, but to build it
back in a way that will be stronger and more prosperous than it's ever
been.”
Umerov has been involved in the talks. But until now, Ukraine's head
negotiator had been Andrii Yermak, the powerful chief of staff for
Zelenskyy. On Friday, Zelenskyy announced the resignation of Yermak,
after his home was searched by anti-corruption investigators.
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Ukrainian officials, left to right, Oleg Ivashchenko, Head of the
Foreign Intelligence Service, Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General
Staff, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief to the Head of the Defence
Intelligence and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security,
look on during a meeting, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Hallandale
Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
It was only a week ago that Rubio had met with Yermak in Geneva,
with each side saying the talks had been positive in putting
together a revised peace plan.
Among the other members of the Ukrainian delegation were Andrii
Hnatov, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, and presidential adviser
Oleksandr Bevz.
The earlier 28-point plan, which Trump has since played down as a
“concept” or a “map” to be “fine-tuned,” would have imposed limits
on the size of Ukraine’s military, blocked the country from joining
NATO and required Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days. Negotiators
have indicated the framework has changed, but it’s not clear how its
provisions have been altered.
It had initially envisioned Ukraine ceding the entire eastern region
of the Donbas to Russia — a sticking point for Kyiv.
Trump said on Tuesday that he would send Witkoff and perhaps Kushner
to Moscow this week to meet with Putin about the plan. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments published Sunday on Russian
state television, said Putin would see Witkoff before Thursday, when
Putin departs for India.
Both Witkoff and Kushner, like Trump, hail from the world of real
estate that values dealmaking over the conventions of diplomacy. The
pair also were behind a 20-point proposal that led to a ceasefire in
Gaza.
In his nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskyy said the American side
was “demonstrating a constructive approach.”
“In the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to
determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” he said.
Attacks continue despite diplomatic efforts to end the war
On Saturday, Russian drone and missile attacks in and around
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killed at least three people and wounded
dozens more, officials said. Fresh attacks overnight into Sunday
killed one person and wounded 19 others, including four children,
local officials said, when a drone hit a nine-story apartment block
in the city of Vyshhorod in the Kyiv region.
In a post on Telegram Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russia had attacked
Ukraine with 122 strike drones and ballistic missiles.
“Such attacks occur daily. This week alone, Russians have used
nearly 1,400 strike drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs and 66
missiles against our people. That is why we must strengthen
Ukraine’s resilience every day. Missiles and air defense systems are
necessary, and we must also actively work with our partners for
peace,” Zelenskyy said.
“We need real, reliable solutions that will help end the war,” he
added.
After Ukraine claimed responsibility for damaging a major oil
terminal on Saturday near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, owned by
the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Kazakhstan told Ukraine on Sunday
to stop attacking the Black Sea terminal. The CPC pipeline, which
starts in Kazakhstan and ends at the Novorossisyk terminal, handles
a large proportion of Kazakhstan's oil exports.
“We view what has occurred as an action harming the bilateral
relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and we expect
the Ukrainian side to take effective measures to prevent similar
incidents in the future," Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said in a
statement.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Elise
Morton in London contributed to this report.
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