A Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States on Saturday, January 17, for a new round of talks with American mediators on ending the war waged against it by Russia. The delegation includes the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, and Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia.
Talks between the U.S. and Ukraine on potential paths to end the war are set to continue the same day in Miami. According to Kyiv, the focus will be on security guarantees and Ukraine’s long-term economic development.
Washington’s mediation efforts have been underway for weeks, but on key issues — including possible NATO membership for Ukraine and Russia’s territorial claims — Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart. Russia is pushing maximalist demands that Kyiv says amount to Ukraine’s capitulation.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump again accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of dragging out peace talks. Zelensky, for his part, has repeatedly called for increased pressure on Moscow. He also said a bilateral document with the U.S. on security guarantees for Ukraine is largely ready for finalization at the highest level.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna, said work is planned in Miami on agreements covering security guarantees and the “economic uplift of Ukraine” totaling up to 690 billion euros. If progress is made, the documents could be signed as early as next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Russia is not taking part in the Miami talks, but U.S. officials are expected to travel to Moscow soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia is expecting a visit by U.S. special representative on Ukraine Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss ways to end the war. Both visited Moscow in early December for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his evening address the day before, Zelensky warned of the risk of new massive Russian air attacks. He cited a shortage of air defenses and urged the West to speed up deliveries.
Amid bitter cold, with overnight temperatures in some regions dropping to minus 20 Celsius, Ukraine is facing serious power disruptions. Russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure have triggered electricity and heating outages across many regions. The situation remains especially difficult in Kyiv, where emergency power cuts have been imposed in recent days.
