[UPDATED: Oct. 10, 9:45 am
, Kyiv time. Updated Information on the early conclusion of negotiations.]
US-led peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine were overshadowed Friday, Oct. 9, by President Donald Trump’s surprise diesel agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising questions about Washington’s strategy for pressuring Moscow.
The high-level meeting in Miami brought together US, Ukrainian and European officials to discuss new peace proposals, security guarantees and protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
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US envoy Steve Witkoff described the discussions as “constructive,” but announced no breakthrough. The talks, initially expected to last two days, reportedly wrapped up after a six-hour session on Friday.
Witkoff did not clarify whether the delegations would meet again Saturday as originally planned.
Alex Raufoglu, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent in Washington, later noted that the talks between Ukraine, Europe, and the US in Miami had ended early.
“Miami talks concluded sooner than planned. “No second day,” sources tell me,” he said.
In a post on X, Witkoff said the meeting explored “potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace.”
He said the exchange identified issues requiring further discussion before Washington’s next contacts with Moscow.
The participants included representatives of the E3 – Britain, France and Germany – as well as the European Commission, NATO and Ukraine.
Trump strikes diesel deal with Putin as peace talks unfold
On the same day, Trump announced an agreement with Putin to boost Russian diesel supplies to US and global markets, temporarily easing economic pressure on Moscow.
Following a telephone conversation with Putin, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, with another 500,000 tons to follow in November.
The US Treasury Department subsequently issued a temporary license permitting transactions involving Russian diesel.
Trump defended the move as an effort to lower soaring fuel prices, which have been driven largely by disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The agreement drew immediate criticism from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who questioned the timing of Washington’s separate dealings with Moscow while his representatives were participating in peace negotiations.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers also warned that allowing additional Russian energy exports could provide fresh revenue for Putin’s war.
The Miami meeting followed visits to Moscow and Kyiv last month by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as US negotiators worked on new proposals to break the diplomatic deadlock.