Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that he held a “highly constructive” phone call with U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser and former President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is determined to continue cooperating with the U.S. to ensure that any potential peace agreement effectively prevents Russia from launching another full-scale invasion.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials have begun a three-day series of talks in Miami to negotiate the U.S.-mediated peace plan between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine stated that the discussions covered multiple key points, including ending the war and establishing a lasting security framework. Witkoff and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security Council, said the two sides had reached an agreement on the framework for security arrangements, though specific details were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Russia continued overnight air and missile strikes against Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported that on the evening of December 6, Russian forces launched 653 drones and 51 missiles. One of the attacks hit the Fastiv railway hub southwest of Kyiv, damaging the station building and several trains. The strikes also affected energy facilities across eight regions, causing power outages. Russia stated that its targets were military-industrial, energy, and port infrastructure.
French President Emmanuel Macron plans to meet on Monday with Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the ongoing U.S.-Ukraine peace negotiations and the possible deployment of a European peacekeeping force.
Commentary:
Former President Trump has consistently promoted a pragmatic approach to ending the war, but “pragmatic” often implies expecting Ukraine to make significant concessions in negotiations. Zelensky’s commitment to continue cooperating with the U.S. raises questions about whether Ukraine might compromise on certain conditions to meet Russian demands. With multiple rounds of talks yielding no breakthrough and Russia’s continued attacks applying constant pressure, Ukraine may eventually face the difficult choice of accepting some unfavorable terms in exchange for a ceasefire and lasting peace.