In a recent update from the ongoing conflict, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dimitriev informed reporters in the United States that peace negotiations with Ukraine are moving forward positively. This statement comes amidst the backdrop of a tragic missile attack by Russian forces on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa.

Speaking to the press in Florida on Saturday, Dimitriev remarked, “The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” signaling a hopeful tone despite the violent developments.

The meetings in Florida saw Dimitriev holding discussions with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is known for his close ties to former President Donald Trump. These conversations followed a separate series of meetings between U.S. representatives and their Ukrainian counterparts.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed some reservations regarding the progress of the peace talks during his address to the press on Saturday, hinting at a complex situation on the diplomatic front.

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have previously engaged in individual discussions with former U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting the international dimension of the conflict. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP; Christian Bruna/Getty)

“The key question remains how the United States responds after consultations with the Russians. At this point, I honestly don’t know, but I will know later today,” he said.

Russia’s campaign against Ukraine has continued unabated despite the peace talks. A Saturday strike on Odesa killed eight people and injured 27 others.

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on Friday that the nation’s “troops are advancing,” and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its goals by military force if Ukraine does not accept its peace terms.

Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Yuri Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev arrive for talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin’s Senate Palace in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

“Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin declared Friday during his annual news conference.

“The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means,” he continued.

Ukrainian military members carry the coffin of Vasyl Ratushnyi, a Ukrainian serviceman who served as a drone operator in “Madyar’s Birds” unit and who was killed fighting Russian troops at the front, during his funeral ceremony outside St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)

“However, if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means,” Putin declared.

Russia’s peace terms have so far required Ukraine to give up vast swathes of territory, including some territory not already under Russian occupation.