ISTANBUL

Senior US and Ukrainian officials on Sunday opened talks in Florida on a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and outline plans for Ukraine after the fighting stops.

"The meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and the American side on steps toward achieving a just peace has already begun in the United States," Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov wrote on social media.

A photograph accompanying Umerov's post showed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner from the US side, alongside Umerov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna, and others in the Ukrainian delegation.

"We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva," Umerov said.

"We are working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees," he said, noting that he remains "in constant contact" with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the delegation will report to him.

US says goals go beyond ending war

Rubio said the aim of the talks extend beyond ending the war, seeking also to ensure the country's long-term sovereignty and prosperity.

"The end goal is obviously not just the end of the war ... but it's also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity," Rubio said ahead of the talks.

He emphasized that the goal was to create a "mechanism and a way forward" that preserves Ukraine's independence, prevents future wars, and enables "tremendous prosperity for its people."

For his part, Umerov thanked "President Trump's super team" for its support over the past 10 months of discussions.

He said the talks focused on Ukraine's future security, prosperity, and reconstruction, along with preventing future "repetition of aggression."

"US is hearing us, US is supporting us, US is walking besides us," he said.

Also on the Ukrainian side, Kyslytsya said the ongoing meeting had started well.

"Very engaging and so far constructive. Warm atmosphere, conducive to potential progressive outcome," he wrote on US social media company X.

The discussions follow Zelenskyy's appointment of Umerov as head of the delegation for talks with international partners, replacing former presidential office head Andriy Yermak, who was dismissed this week.

The US delegation, led by Kushner and Witkoff, is expected to travel to Russia next week for talks.

The US administration has confirmed working on a Ukrainian settlement plan but declined to provide details while the process is ongoing.

The Kremlin has said Russia remains open to negotiations and committed to a diplomatic resolution.