US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says talks with Ukraine over a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war were productive, but there’s “more work to be done”. The talks, held in Florida, were attended by a Ukrainian delegation led by national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s new chief negotiator. Also at the meeting were President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Witkoff is due to visit Moscow for talks next week. Umerov was brought in to replace the Ukrainian president’s top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, after he quit following an anti-corruption raid on his home.Sunday’s meeting is the latest step in two weeks of intense diplomatic activity. It was sparked by the leaking of a 28-point US peace plan which shocked Ukraine and its European allies for appearing to favour Russia, which invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago.”It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” Rubio said at the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami. “It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity… I think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done.”He also told the Ukrainian delegation that the aim of peace talks with Russia is to leave Ukraine “sovereign, independent and prosperous”.As Sunday’s talks began, Umerov said: “We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine”. “US is hearing us,” he said, speaking in English. “US is supporting us. US is working beside us.”He later described the talks as “productive and successful” while Rubio said they had been “very productive and useful”.Trump said earlier he would send Witkoff and possibly also Kushner to Moscow this week to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss the peace plan which has been much revised. One crucial unresolved issue is the fate of Ukrainian …
