A renewed and urgent diplomatic drive by the United States to broker an end to Russia's protracted war in Ukraine has set off an intense period of high-level, globe-trotting negotiations over recent weeks.
A Timeline of Intensive Negotiations
The flurry of activity began in mid-November. On 19 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Turkey, stating his aim was to reignite talks on concluding the nearly four-year conflict. Reports swiftly surfaced of a 28-point peace plan drafted by the US and Russia, a document critics argued conceded too much to Moscow.
The following day, 20 November, saw US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrive in Kyiv to personally brief President Zelenskyy on the American-backed proposal.
By 23 November, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Geneva, meeting a Ukrainian delegation led by Andrii Yermak, then the presidential chief of staff. Both sides cited progress but disclosed little. Yermak also conferred with European security officials.
Meetings Span from Abu Dhabi to Florida
The diplomacy then shifted location. On 24-25 November, Dan Driscoll met Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin, later stated the new peace plan was not discussed in detail.
On 30 November, a new Ukrainian delegation, now headed by Rustem Umerov following Yermak's resignation amid an energy sector corruption scandal, held talks with US officials in Florida.
As December began, the pace remained relentless. On 1 December, President Zelenskyy flew to Paris to update French President Emmanuel Macron on the Florida discussions. Simultaneously, a US delegation headed to Moscow for direct talks with Russian counterparts.
Kremlin Talks and Awaiting Signals
The pivotal date of 2 December witnessed a lengthy five-hour meeting at the Kremlin. President Putin hosted US envoys, reported to include Jared Kushner, alongside senior Russian advisers Kirill Dmitriev and Yuri Ushakov. Ushakov described the talks as constructive but emphasised significant work remained.
That same day, President Zelenskyy met in Ireland with his delegation returning from Florida. At a press conference, he indicated Ukraine was now awaiting signals from the American team following their Moscow consultations.
The diplomatic shuttle continued unabated, with a Ukrainian delegation flying back to Florida on 4 December for further meetings with members of the US team that had just visited Russia.
This unprecedented sequence of meetings across multiple continents underscores the seriousness of the latest American-led initiative. While all parties acknowledge the complexity of reaching a deal, the sheer volume of diplomatic traffic suggests a concerted effort is underway to find a potential off-ramp to Europe's largest conflict in decades.
