Negotiations between the Ukrainian delegation and senior American officials began on Sunday in Florida To discuss Donald Trump’s plan to end the war with RussiaWhile Kyiv must face intense military and political pressure.
Ukrainian negotiators, led by Rustam Omerov, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accompanied by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, began the meeting at around 10:10 local time.
“It is not just about ending the war (…).” “This is about opening the way for Ukraine to remain sovereign, independent and prosperous.”Rubio announced at the beginning of the meeting.
In turn, Umarov expressed his desire to discuss the security and reconstruction of Ukraine.
In a message on social media “Ensuring the interests of Ukraine” And he “will inform the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensli,” after the end of today’s meetings.
The talks are taking place in the context of military tension. As the Russian army advances into eastern Ukraine. A drone attack killed at least one person and injured 11 others Saturday night near Kyiv.
Zelensky said the talks are expected to be based on amendments to the Trump plan that was negotiated a week ago in Geneva between the Americans, Ukrainians and Europeans.
ten days ago, Washington presented a 28-point plan to end the conflict This is due to the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
He was accused of being strongly biased in favor of Moscow. This plan has been modified Although Kyiv fears that it will have to make major concessions.
He added: “The American side is constructive, and in the coming days it will be possible to determine the steps that must be followed to determine this How to end war with dignity“Zelensky reiterated on Saturday.
On Monday, he is scheduled to receive his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron again in Paris. A few days after the dismissal of his right-hand man, Andrei Yermak As a result of extensive anti-corruption investigations in the energy sector.
On Saturday, naval drones launched an attack on a major oil terminal in the Russian port of Novorossiysk. This station Oil is easily exported via one of the world’s largest pipelinesWhich originates from the oil fields in Kazakhstan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, and crosses Russia to the Black Sea.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which runs the facility, announced that a “terrorist attack” using naval drones had disabled one of the three mooring buoys at the terminal, which is used to load oil tankers into the sea.
Kyiv did not comment on this attack. However, on Saturday, an attack on two oil tankers in the Black Sea was claimed. Off the coast of TürkiyePointing out that it targeted ships belonging to the Russian secret fleet that Moscow uses to evade Western sanctions.
A source in the Ukrainian security service told AFP that the tankers were Kairos and Virat She was attacked by Sea Baby drones During a joint operation between the State Security Service and the Ukrainian Navy.
According to this spokesman, the ship was empty at the time of the attack and was heading to the Russian port of Novorossiysk to refuel.
In recent months, the Ukrainian military has regularly attacked oil facilities and refineries in Russia in an attempt to disrupt the oil revenues that allow Moscow to fund its war effort. For her part, Moscow continued its night attacks on Ukraine.