CNN: Negotiations in Florida are tough but constructive

U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Florida on Sunday to discuss the outlines of a peace deal with Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects progress toward ending the more than three-year-old war.

"This is about creating a path forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous, and that's why we expect to make even more progress today," Rubio said in Hallandale Beach, Florida, where the meeting was held.

A source familiar with the negotiations told CNN that the talks so far have been "difficult but very constructive."

Sunday's discussions follow about two weeks of negotiations that began with the U.S. draft peace plan. Critics argued that it initially favored Russia, which kicked off the conflict in Ukraine with the 2022 invasion.

US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration that he has so far failed to end the war. As a presidential candidate, he vowed to do it in a single day, and said he was surprised by how difficult it was - especially given what he describes as a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has mostly refused to make the concessions needed to stop the fighting.

Trump's team has pressed Ukraine to make significant concessions of its own, including giving up territory to Russia.

Negotiations shifted on Sunday after a change in leadership on the Ukrainian side. The new chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, led the talks for Kiev after the Friday resignation of the team's previous leader, Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, over a corruption scandal.

At the start of the meeting, Umerov thanked the United States and its officials for their support. "The US is listening to us, the US is supporting us, the US is walking alongside us," Umerov said in English.

(reuters, hal)