Breakthrough in Ukraine Peace Talks as White House Reports Progress
The White House announced on Tuesday that significant progress has been made in negotiations to end Russia's war on Ukraine, with remaining differences described as manageable and requiring further discussions. This development marks one of the most substantial diplomatic advances since the conflict began.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on social media platform X that "The United States has made tremendous progress towards a peace deal" while acknowledging that "There are a few delicate but not insurmountable details that must be sorted out." She emphasized that these remaining issues would require additional talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
Ukraine Agrees to Peace Framework
According to a US official who spoke with CBS News, Ukraine has agreed to a peace deal brokered by the Trump administration, with outstanding matters characterized as minor. The official confirmed that "The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal."
Ukraine's national security adviser Rustem Umerov reinforced this positive development, stating that negotiators had reached a common understanding on a proposal and expressed confidence that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could travel to Washington before the end of November to finalize the agreement.
Diplomatic Efforts Intensify Across Multiple Fronts
The reported breakthrough comes as US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, according to multiple US and diplomatic officials. One US military official in Abu Dhabi expressed optimism, stating "We remain very optimistic. Secretary Driscoll is optimistic. Hopefully, we'll get feedback from the Russians soon. This is moving quick."
Talks have intensified over recent days following negotiations in Geneva that involved key figures including Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and European and Ukrainian diplomats. Secretary Rubio described one session as "very meaningful" while acknowledging that work remains to be done.
Ukrainian delegate Oleksandr Bevz confirmed that the number of points in the draft settlement has been reduced, though he disputed specific reports about the exact reduction. "(The document) is going to continue to change. We can confirm that it was reduced to take out points not relating to Ukraine, to exclude duplicates and for editing purposes," Bevz told the Associated Press.
International Reactions and Ongoing Violence
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov responded to the developments earlier Tuesday, stating that Moscow "appreciates the U.S.' position, which is taking the initiative in resolving the Ukrainian conflict" but stressed that Russia "operates professionally, not leaking information before formal agreements are reached." He indicated that Russia expects to be briefed by Washington soon.
Despite the diplomatic progress, violence continued in the region. The Associated Press reported renewed Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight that killed at least seven people and targeted infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks in southern Russia resulted in three fatalities according to local authorities.
The diplomatic push comes as President Trump urges Ukraine to accept a deal by Thanksgiving, although US officials have indicated the timeline remains flexible. A source told AP that Driscoll is leading the current phase of negotiations and that all sides have signaled their intention to reach a ceasefire swiftly.
Umerov emphasized that Ukraine had agreed to the "core terms" of a peace framework and was seeking the support of European partners. He added that negotiators "reached a common understanding on the core terms" during talks in Geneva and looked forward to organizing President Zelenskyy's visit to the US to complete final steps.
