US-Ukraine talks on security 'framework' continue
LONDON -- American and Ukrainian representatives continued discussions on a possible framework for a peace deal to end Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Saturday, the State Department and the White House said in a statement, following meetings between the two teams in Miami this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a two-hour call with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a White House official told ABC News Saturday. The three discussed territory and security guarantees, the official said.
The call came a day after the office of the spokesperson at the State Department said statement that Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law held "constructive discussions" with the Ukrainian delegation this week on "advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine."
The statement said the two delegations agreed on a framework of security arrangements and necessary deterrence capabilities that the State Department said will lead to a "lasting peace" between Ukraine and Russia.
U.S. officials provided no further details on the framework of any security arrangement.
Kyiv has long said it cannot accept any peace deal that does not include concrete security guarantees from Western partners, chief among them the U.S. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government have warned that without such protections, Russia may be emboldened to launch new rounds of aggression in the future.
The U.S. and Ukrainian delegations met in Miami for talks on Thursday and Friday. The teams are set to reconvene on Saturday to "continue advancing the discussions," the State Department statement said.
The readout said that the Ukrainian delegation -- which was led by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of the country's National Security and Defense Council -- "reaffirmed that Ukraine's priority is securing a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty, ensures the safety of Ukrainians and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future."
The statement also said that the U.S. envoys discussed their recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, plus "steps that could lead to ending this war."
"Both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings," the statement added.
Ahead of the first meeting in Miami on Thursday, Zelenskyy said in a post to social media that his team's task was "to obtain full information about what was said in Russia and what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war and to pressure Ukraine," referring to the visit of Witkoff and Kushner to the Russian capital earlier in the week.
"Ukraine is prepared for any possible developments, and of course we will work as constructively as possible with all our partners to ensure that peace is achieved," Zelenskyy added. "Only a dignified peace provides real security, and we fully understand that this requires -- and will continue to require -- the support of our partners."
The Kremlin's public statements suggest it is maintaining its maximalist demands, which include Ukraine's withdrawal from territories still partially under Kyiv's control in the east of the country. Ukraine has repeatedly dismissed that proposal.
Putin is projecting confidence, last week claiming a "positive dynamic" everywhere on the front despite high rates of Russian casualties -- according to Kyiv's reporting -- and slow battlefield progress. Russia, the president said, is "ready in principle" to "fight to the last Ukrainian."
Both Russia and Ukraine are sustaining their long-range strike campaigns amid the White House's latest diplomatic push.
Ukraine's air force said on Saturday morning that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles -- 17 of them ballistic missiles -- into the country overnight. The air force said 585 drones and 30 missiles were shot down or suppressed. Drone and missile impacts were reported across 29 locations, the air force said.
Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed at least 121 Ukrainian drones on Friday night into Saturday morning.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
