'Not under discussion': Kremlin denies preparations for trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia talks
Top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on Dec. 21 denied that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. were even being considered.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have rushed to Miami to take part in yet another round of talks with the U.S. representatives in what some see as an American effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
"At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge, it is not in preparation," Ushakov told journalists.
Ushakov also stated that he doesn't even know whether Ukrainian representatives are in Miami, where the talks between U.S. and Russian officials are taking place.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, confirmed later on Dec. 21 that he and General Andrii Hnatov, chief of Ukraine's General Staff, are in the U.S. and holding another round of talks with the American delegates.
From the U.S. side the negotiations are led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, while Russia is represented by Kirill Dmitriev, head of the country's sovereign wealth fund.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Dec. 20, Dmitriev described the talks as constructive.
Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Washington has proposed trilateral talks between delegations from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, noting that he believes substantial progress toward ending Russia's war cannot be made in that format but that it could yield results, including prisoner exchanges or lay the groundwork for more important talks.
Earlier this week, Witkoff and Kushner held meetings in Berlin with Ukrainian and European officials, where discussions reportedly focused on "Article 5-like" security guarantees for Ukraine as well as postwar recovery and reconstruction funding.
The Miami talks are expected to build on those consultations as Washington continues to push for a negotiated settlement.
