Hallandale Beach, Florida - Secretary of State Marco Rubio held high-stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida on Sunday, as the US pushes to end Russia's war against its neighbor.

The negotiations come as Kyiv faces mounting military and political pressure, along with the fallout from a corruption scandal. They could set the stage for next week's visit to Moscow by President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who is expected to discuss Ukraine diplomacy.

"This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent, and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the negotiations.

Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, were also attending the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami.

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Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov led Kyiv's delegation, which also included Andrii Hnatov, the chief of staff of Ukraine's armed forces, and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz.

"We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off.

The US talks come amid turbulence for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government. A blockbuster corruption probe forced him to sack his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, on Friday.

Rubio had met with Yermak only a week ago during another round of talks in Geneva that both sides hailed as "constructive."

In a separate post on the platform X, Umerov said he was in "constant contact" with Zelensky as the Florida meeting progressed.

"We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva," Umerov wrote. "We are working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees."

A source close to the Kyiv delegation, however, cautioned that "the process is not easy because the search for formulations and solutions continues." The exchanges had nevertheless been "constructive," the source told AFP.