US leads fresh Ukraine peace push with Miami talks

U.S. officials, alongside Ukrainian and European counterparts, convened a two-day peace summit in Miami on Friday to seek an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. The talks, attended by President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, aimed to break a stalemate in negotiations. However, the discussions were marred by a recent announcement by the U.S. of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to increase diesel supplies, highlighting the conflict's link to soaring energy prices.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the stalemate could potentially lead to further escalation, with the risk of spilling over to neighboring NATO countries. Trump had previously blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for fuel price surges, though the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran was the main disruptor of global energy.

Following a call with Putin, Trump confirmed Russia would supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets, with an additional 500,000 tons set for November. Energy supplies and a partial ceasefire were among the topics under consideration during the Miami talks. The U.S. has been developing proposals with Russian and Ukrainian officials, with Ukraine expressing willingness to explore a partial ceasefire, while Russia showed little enthusiasm.

The urgency of finding a settlement grew as winter approached, and the prospect of ongoing fighting and infrastructure attacks loomed. The talks also aimed to address security guarantees for Ukraine against future Russian aggression and plans for post-war economic recovery. Other nations, including Britain, France, and Germany, were invited to the summit, along with NATO and the European Union.

Ukrainian officials, such as Zelensky's chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov and intelligence chief Rustem Umerov, would also participate, alongside senior negotiators Sergiy Kyslytsya and David Arakhamia. The U.S. administration hoped to make progress before the November midterm elections and potentially arrange additional talks later in October.