Hook paragraph
Miami Meeting
Kirill Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner in Miami on Saturday, according to an American official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview a meeting that hasn’t yet been publicly announced.
Context from Berlin
The American official said that Witkoff and Kushner will sit down with Dmitriev after meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin earlier this week. Those talks covered U.S. security guarantees for Kyiv, territorial concessions and other aspects of the American‑authored plan aimed at ending the war.
Kremlin’s Position
Moscow’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow was preparing for contacts with the U.S. to learn about the results of the meetings in Berlin, but didn’t give further details.
Putin’s Demands
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies rejected the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks. Putin wants all areas in four key regions captured by his forces, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, to be recognized as Russian territory. He also demands that Ukraine withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow’s forces haven’t captured yet.
Ukraine’s Stance
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to drop its bid to join NATO if the U.S. and other Western nations provide security guarantees similar to those offered to NATO members. Yet Ukraine’s preference remains NATO membership as the best security guarantee to prevent further Russian aggression. Zelenskyy has rejected Moscow’s demands that it pull back its troops from areas Russia hasn’t taken by force.
EU Loan and Negotiations
Zelenskyy told a Brussels audience that “We have progress in our dialogue with the American side regarding some of our points, they also speak with Russian side,” and that “We are in the war and United States are decision-makers, who can really stop Putin and I count on this.” He added, “I really count on pressure from United States. Putin does not want to stop this war, but he can if United States will pressure more.” Ukrainian officials were expected to hold negotiations in the U.S. on Friday or Saturday.
Drone Attacks and Air Defenses
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 82 drones of various types overnight, 63 of which were intercepted or jammed. In Cherkasy, Russian drones that targeted critical infrastructure wounded six people and left parts of the city without electricity, regional administration head Ihor Taburets said. Russian drones also wounded four people in Kryvyi Rih and seven near Odesa, according to local officials.
In Russia’s Rostov region, three people were killed by Ukrainian drones overnight, including two crew members of a cargo ship hit in Rostov‑on‑Don and another man who died in Bataysk. At least 10 others were wounded, local officials said. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 47 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Key Takeaways
- Dmitriev will meet with U.S. envoy and Jared Kushner in Miami after Berlin talks.
- Putin seeks territorial gains and NATO withdrawal; Ukraine insists on NATO membership.
- Ukraine faces ongoing drone attacks while the EU considers a loan backed by frozen Russian assets.
The unfolding diplomatic and military developments underscore the complex and volatile nature of the Ukraine conflict, with high‑level talks and aerial skirmishes continuing on both sides.
