Special Envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Kirill Dmitriev - head of the Russian negotiating delegation on Ukraine - said that he had held a "constructive" meeting with the US delegation in Florida on January 31, right before the new round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled for February 1.
According to information announced by Mr. Dmitriev, the trip to the US was made on January 31 and was not announced in advance by Moscow. Previously, he only "hinted" about the trip by posting on social network X images of his flight tracking map when the plane was approaching Miami city.
The meeting was constructive with the US mediation delegation. The discussion was also very effective on the US-Russia Economic Working Group," Mr. Dmitriev wrote on X after the meeting.
The US side also gave a similar assessment. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the meeting in Florida was "effective", and said it was part of Washington's mediation efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
In a private post, Mr. Witkoff said that these exchanges encouraged the US to see Moscow moving towards ensuring peace, and thanked US President Donald Trump for the leadership role he called key in pursuing a long-term solution.
According to Mr. Witkoff, the meeting was also attended by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Mr. Jared Kushner - son-in-law of President Donald Trump - and Senior White House Advisor Josh Gruenbaum.
The contact took place right before the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the US, scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi. The previous round of negotiations, taking place on January 23-24, marked the first time the parties conducted dialogue within a 3-party framework and was described by all parties as "very constructive".
After this round of negotiations, the negotiators acknowledged that territorial issues remain the biggest obstacle to a peace agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this is still a "bridge not yet overcome", adding that "positive work" is underway to find ways to reconcile the views of the parties.
Moscow affirms that any solution must include Ukraine withdrawing from the Donbass regions that voted to annex Russia in the 2022 referendums, as well as recognizing Russia's new border, including the Crimean peninsula. Kiev resolutely rejects any territorial concessions.
Although the round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi is described as a trilateral format, Mr. Rubio previously said that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner - key figures of Washington in the Ukraine peace process - will not directly participate, although "there may be a US presence".
On January 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was not sure whether the meeting with Russian negotiators on February 1 would take place, saying that the time or location could change in the context of increasing US-Iran tensions after Washington deployed a naval fleet to put pressure on Tehran to return to nuclear negotiations. However, so far there has been no official announcement about changing the plan.
On January 30, Russia also agreed to temporarily suspend attacks on Ukraine at the personal request of US President Donald Trump, in order to create favorable conditions for the upcoming round of negotiations.
