No Breakthrough In ‘Constructive’ Ukraine-US Talks; Volodymyr Zelensky Vows Good Faith Peace Efforts Amid Russia Tensions

The negotiations intended to locate a resolution to the almost four-year-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with US envoys like US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the front line, ended their latest round without a concrete breakthrough.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recognized the talks as “substantial and constructive,” once more put his country’s intention to have a lasting peace through negotiation, saying that Ukraine will “continue working in good faith” with the US side. 

The conferences, which had a visit to Moscow as a part of the schedule for US envoys and President Putin, and discussions in Florida with the Ukrainian negotiators afterward, illustrate the very difficult and complicated nature of the diplomatic route.

Although there was no resolution right away, the high-level dialogue that is taking place continues to signal the commitment from both Washington and Kyiv to find a solution, even if some of the main issues especially the status of the areas occupied by Russia are still unresolved.

Core Impediments to Peace

The territorial issue is still the greatest obstacle to a peace deal. Russia occupies and claims four Ukrainian regions, which Kyiv definitively rejects. Ukraine has continuously eliminated options for negotiations that would mean giving away their own territories, treating it as a completely unworkable proposal.

This fundamental conflict in views opens a wide gap between the negotiating parties, with the Kremlin claiming that without a compromise on this matter, there is “no resolution” to the crisis.

Additionally, the matter of Ukraine’s long-term security guarantees is among the major discussions to deter future aggressions and to make Ukraine’s independence and prosperity post-war assured.

Post-Conflict Security Framework

Secretaray Rubio stressed that the US aimed not just to “stop fighting” but to “build a framework that for sure the long-way security and economic prosperity of Ukraine”.

According to reports, the US and Ukrainian delegations reached agreement on a security arrangements framework and also talked about necessary deterrent capabilities to keep peace in force. So-called full-scale plan is to assist with the defense system of Ukraine and at the same time to make it commercially open to the West.

The diplomats see the whole thing as a two-sided coin: one side is using the constructive diplomacy while the other is pressing on the aggressor, such a necessity has been proved by the simultaneous Russian attacks with missiles and drones on Ukrainian infrastructure that had been going on during the talks.

The commitment of Kyiv and its allies to military aid continuing this dual approach is also emphasized by keeping the leverage while searching for a just and durable peace.

Also Read: Russia Launches Massive Strike On Ukraine: Railway Hub Hit, Power Facilities Damaged