US, Russian negotiators to meet in Miami over peace deal to end Ukraine crisis: media

WASHINGTON - US and Russian negotiators are expected to hold talks in Miami, US state of Florida, this weekend over a peace deal aimed at ending the Ukraine crisis that has lasted nearly four years, US media outlet Politico reported on Wednesday.

The schedule remains in flux, and if they meet, the Trump administration will present to the Russian side the latest development following the talks among US, Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin last weekend, said the report, citing two people familiar with the matter.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the US side while the Russian delegation is expected to include Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, said the report.

Ukrainian national security adviser Rustem Umerov is also expected to meet with the US delegation separately in Miami or another location in the United States in the coming weekend.

The US, European and Ukrainian officials have reached consensus or significantly closed gaps on 90 percent of their differences on a 20-point US draft peace plan during the Berlin talks last weekend, officials with the Trump administration said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine could suspend its bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees to prevent renewed conflict with Russia if a peace agreement were reached, with Kiev seeking protections comparable to those granted to alliance members -- assurances the United States has so far not offered.

He said that Ukraine stands ready to agree on security guarantees based on NATO Article 5 as a part of a compromise in the peace process, the Ukrinform news agency reported.