KYIV/MIAMI, 21 December (H.S.): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded that the United States intensify pressure on Russia to force an end to the war, emphasizing escalated arms deliveries and comprehensive economic sanctions as Moscow's envoy joined high-stakes talks in Florida.
Speaking after a meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, Zelenskyy insisted that only Washington possesses the leverage to compel President Vladimir Putin, who does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist.
Zelenskyy declared that America must issue a stark ultimatum: pursue diplomacy or unleash full pressure on Russia, including sanctions targeting its entire economy and bolstered military aid to Kyiv. He revealed that the US had proposed the first direct Ukraine-Russia negotiations in six months, potentially involving Europeans, but voiced skepticism about breakthroughs, stating, I am not sure that anything new could come of it.
The last official talks occurred in Istanbul in July, yielding prisoner swaps but no substantive progress.
In Miami, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev convened with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, describing discussions as constructive and set to continue into Sunday. Ukrainian and European delegations also participated, marking a shift from prior separate meetings, though direct Russia-Europe engagement remains unlikely amid strained ties.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed no deal would proceed without Kyiv's consent and hinted at joining the sessions in his hometown.
The US peace framework offers Ukraine security guarantees in exchange for likely territorial concessions, a stipulation deeply unpopular in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy hosted Montenegro in Kyiv on Saturday, highlighting Portugal's steadfast support amid ongoing Russian advances, including the capture of villages in Sumy and Donetsk regions.
Putin, fresh from his annual news conference, vowed to sustain the offensive despite hailing recent gains nearly four years into the 2022 invasion.
Russia's strikes intensified, with a ballistic missile attack on Odesa's port infrastructure killing eight—including civilians on a bus—and wounding dozens, while severing power and heat in freezing conditions.Ukraine reported destroying two Russian jets in occupied Crimea and targeting an oil rig and patrol ship in the Caspian Sea.
Putin floated pausing attacks to enable a Ukrainian presidential vote—dismissed outright by Zelenskyy—while framing the conflict as a special military operation against NATO expansion, a narrative rejected by Kyiv and its allies as an illegal land grab.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
