United States, Ukrainian and European officials are set to meet in Miami for two days of diplomatic talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Washington seeks a breakthrough in the prolonged conflict.
The talks, involving US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, come amid growing concerns over the risk of further escalation and the impact of rising global energy prices.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the conflict has reached a dangerous stalemate, cautioning that failure to secure a negotiated settlement could lead to further escalation and potentially spread the war to neighbouring NATO countries.
Speaking to reporters in Lisbon on Thursday, Rubio said stalemates could end through escalation if diplomatic efforts failed to produce results.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic initiative has been overshadowed by Trump’s announcement of an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to increase diesel supplies to global markets.
Following a telephone conversation with Putin on Friday, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, with an additional 500,000 tonnes expected in November.
The US Treasury Department also announced a temporary licence permitting Russian diesel supplies to reach global markets.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for rising fuel prices, although the US-Israeli conflict with Iran has been a major factor disrupting global energy supplies.
It remains unclear whether the telephone conversation between Trump and Putin included discussions on the war in Ukraine.
