The most dangerous peace - and the cruel game with Ukraine

In Hallandale Beach, American and Ukrainian negotiators met at a place that looks more like a golf tournament than world politics. But behind the glass fronts of the club, the talks went far beyond courtesies. Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner tried to initiate the next step in discussions that could decide the fate of an entire country. They spoke about a possible peace while sirens kept sounding in Ukraine and families sheltered in basements. Selenskyj’s delegation thanked the United States for its support, but no one in the room could ignore how much the balance of power has shifted in recent weeks. The resignation of Andrii Yermak, whose home was searched under suspicion of multimillion-dollar bribery, hit Kyiv hard. It was Yermak who had negotiated with Rubio in Geneva just days earlier, and suddenly he was at the center of a scandal his country can hardly afford in this situation.

The American-Russian plan, which initially consisted of 28 points, hangs like a looming shadow over every round of talks. Too generous toward Moscow, too demanding toward Kyiv, too close to Putin’s wishes - that is how Ukrainian officials described it even before the situation further escalated. The idea of giving up entire regions, including the whole Donbas, is now mentioned only in vague passing remarks, and Rubio plans to address questions of territories and security guarantees. But even the newly drawn version demands much from Ukraine: a reduced army, the renunciation of NATO membership, elections in one hundred days. It sounds like a misconception that leaves Kyiv little room to breathe while Russia continues to fire rockets. The delegations say the points have been revised, but no one reveals which compromises are now on the table. Trump himself calls the construct only an idea, a map that needs finer adjustment, but with each day it becomes clearer that this adjustment is happening mainly in Moscow.

The fact that Witkoff and perhaps also Kushner are now supposed to travel directly to Putin seems like a mix of risk and wishful thinking. Both come from a world in which a quick handshake often matters more than diplomatic experience. With a similar proposal, they had already helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza. But Russia is not a Middle East speed game, and the attacks on Ukraine do not end with a signature. While the negotiators were meeting in Florida, drones and missiles struck residential buildings in Kyiv. Three dead, dozens injured, including children. Hours later, another strike hit a nine-story building in Vyshhorod. Selenskyj listed on Sunday what his country must endure every day: over one hundred attack drones, hundreds of bombs, dozens of missiles - in just this week. The United States speaks of a constructive tone, but the reality of Ukraine is another place. One that burns.

There is also a new conflict that few in Washington had considered: Kazakhstan issued a sharp warning to Kyiv after Ukrainian forces struck a major oil terminal near Novorossiysk. The terminal belongs to the most important pipeline corridor of the country, and Astana reacted with unusual openness. It expects that such attacks will not happen again. It is a sentence that shows how the cracks of this war also affect states that are not at the center but may suddenly have to pay a price.

In Florida, negotiators search for words meant to calm. Selenskyj says both sides are working on steps that could bring the war to a dignified end. That may be true. But the attacks of the past nights tell a different story. And between these two realities lies the narrow ridge on which every round of negotiations must balance. A peace created under pressure rarely lasts. A peace created in haste lasts even less. And yet Kyiv has no choice but to remain at this table - even if the ground beneath it becomes thinner every day.