Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, January 29, 2026, in Washington. | Image Credit: AP
US Ambassador Steve Wittkoff said on Saturday (January 31, 2026) that he held constructive talks with Russia’s ambassador in Florida as part of his drive to Washington. War in Ukraine.
The meeting came a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss a US-backed plan to end the nearly four-year conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Today in Florida, Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held productive and constructive meetings as part of US mediation efforts toward advancing a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict,” Mr. Wittkoff posted on X.
“We are encouraged that this meeting shows that Russia is working towards securing peace in Ukraine,” he said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum also participated in the talks, he said.
Earlier Saturday (January 31, 2026), a source close to the talks said AFP They started at 8:00 am (1300 GMT) and Mr. Dmitriev arrived in Miami.
Both sides did not release details of the discussion.
Mr Dmitriev, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top economic envoy, met Mr Wittkoff and Mr Kushner on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.
He visited Miami in December and held talks with US negotiators in Ukraine.
A second round of talks in Abu Dhabi is set to begin on Sunday (February 1, 2026), despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicating earlier this week that it might be postponed due to the US-Iran crisis.
Mr. Zelenskyy said in his evening speech on Saturday (January 31, 2026) that his negotiators are waiting to hear from the United States about further meetings.
“Ukraine is ready to work in all forms of work,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. “There are results and it is important that the meetings take place. We are counting down to the meetings next week and preparing for them.”
Teams from Ukraine and Russia met on Friday (January 30, 2026) and Saturday (January 31, 2026) in Abu Dhabi last week for their first in-person talks on the plan being pushed by Mr Trump.
The United States says the two sides are close to a deal, but they have so far been unable to reach a compromise on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement, according to Kyiv.
The Kremlin said on Friday (Jan 30, 2026) that Mr Putin had agreed to a pause in strikes on Kyiv – which ends on Sunday (Feb 1, 2026) – following a request from Mr Trump.
Published – February 01, 2026 at 06:16 am IST
