Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner to host Ukrainian delegation in Florida for crucial peace talks
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, are set to meet with a high-level Ukrainian delegation in Florida on Sunday, November 30, marking a pivotal moment in Washington’s push to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
A senior US official confirmed that the meeting will focus on finalizing a peace deal and building on momentum from talks in Geneva last weekend.
The Ukrainian team is led by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, who was appointed as chief negotiator after a sudden corruption scandal rocked Kyiv’s leadership on Friday.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees 'constructive approach' in US talks
The Ukrainian delegation should already be in the United States by this evening, U.S. time. The dialogue based on the Geneva points will continue. Diplomacy remains active. The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh… pic.twitter.com/7eZC5c776w
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 29, 2025
In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism about the upcoming discussions, signaling a potential thaw in what had been a tense negotiation process.
"The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach," Zelenskyy wrote. "In the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end."
Zelenskyy stated that he expects the results of the Geneva meetings to be "hammered out" on Sunday. He also hoped to secure a deal that preserved Ukraine's national interests while satisfying the Trump administration's timeline.
Trump 'fine-tunes' controversial 28-point plan
The Florida summit will revolve around the 28-point peace proposal unveiled by President Trump last week. Initially criticized by European leaders for heavily favoring Russia, the plan was reportedly "fine-tuned" in recent days to address allied concerns.
The original draft called for significant concessions, including ceding territory in the Donbas and capping the size of Ukraine's military.
However, Trump indicated on Tuesday that the plan had evolved, and that he was sending Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow next week to present the updated terms to Vladimir Putin.
European leaders are allegedly trying to ensure that any deal does not leave the continent vulnerable to future Russian aggression.
Corruption scandal forces leadership change in Kyiv
The diplomatic push comes at a moment of extreme fragility for the Zelenskyy administration. The delegation to Florida is being led by Rustem Umerov after Zelenskyy’s longtime right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday.
Yermak’s departure reportedly followed an anti-corruption raid on his apartment, part of a wider $100 million energy sector scandal that has already ousted two ministers.
The domestic turmoil, combined with allegedly relentless Russian bombardment of Ukraine's power grid and incremental gains on the front line, has placed immense pressure on Zelenskyy to find a diplomatic off-ramp.
