Ukraine, Russia trade attacks as U.S., Ukrainian peace negotiators meet in Florida

Russia launched a deadly drone assault against Ukraine over the weekend while Kyiv’s forces targeted Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, the latest round of violence between the two sides as U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators met in Florida in the hope of reaching a deal to end the war.

As the violence unfolded in Eastern Europe, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations expressed optimism Sunday that significant hurdles to a deal could be overcome and a lasting peace achieved. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that the Trump administration’s position is that Ukraine should “never have another war again.”

“This is about ending a war in a way that creates a mechanism and a way forward that will allow [Ukraine] to be independent and sovereign, never have another war again, and create tremendous prosperity for its people, not just rebuild the country, but enter an era of extraordinary economic progress in the country,” Mr. Rubio told reporters during the talks in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Mr. Rubio was flanked by White House envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation.

Mr. Umerov replaced Andrii Yermak, who resigned last week as Ukrainian authorities searched his home in connection with an energy corruption investigation.

“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,” Mr. Umerov said Sunday. “And we are thankful for the efforts of [the] United States and its team to helping us.”

The bloodshed in Ukraine continued in the hours leading up to the latest round of negotiations. Ukrainian officials said Russian drone and missile assaults in and around Kyiv killed at least three people and wounded dozens more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian attack underscored the need for a lasting end to the fighting.

“Such attacks happen every day. This week alone, the Russians have used nearly 1,400 attack drones, 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and 66 missiles against our people,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted on X. “This is exactly why we must strengthen Ukraine’s resilience every single day. Missiles and air-defense systems are essential, and just as crucial is active work with our partners for peace. We need real, reliable solutions that will help end this war. I thank everyone who is helping.”

Separately over the weekend, Moscow officials said Ukraine targeted Russian oil tankers and energy infrastructure in the Black Sea.

“We strongly condemn these terrorist attacks and the actions of all parties that facilitated them,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. “We would like to point out that the civilian energy infrastructure facilities that came under attack play an important role in ensuring global energy security and have never been targeted by international restrictions.”

Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout the war, which is nearing its fourth anniversary.

Later Sunday, Mr. Zelenskyy said he spoke with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte about the U.S.-backed peace proposal. Mr. Zelenskyy said “much can change” over the course of talks, perhaps signaling that negotiators still must work through major issues.

The two sides are discussing Mr. Trump’s proposed peace plan. The U.S. and Ukraine said last week that they had reached an “understanding” on the core tenets of the proposal.

Neither side has provided details on the changes made to Mr. Trump’s initial plan. The issue of potential territorial concessions from Ukraine to Russia is considered the biggest obstacle to a deal.

The initial draft of Mr. Trump’s plan called for Ukraine to cede some land in the Donbas region to Russia, accept limits on the size of its military, agree not to join NATO and accept other conditions.

In return, Ukraine would receive security guarantees from the U.S. and European nations; however, those guarantees were initially vague, and it’s unclear whether the proposal had any concrete mechanisms to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine again.