The United States is exploring mechanisms to sidestep explicit constitutional red lines in Ukraine – including NATO membership and territorial provisions – as US and Ukrainian negotiators held “tough but very constructive” talks at a private club in South Florida, CNN reported.

“It would be very premature to say we finalized everything here as a lot of things have still to be done,” a source with direct knowledge of the talks told CNN, adding that “the most problematic aspects of the peace proposals were discussed in detail.”

The discussions involved US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner. The source called the session a “step forward” that “built on progress in Geneva,” where the first round of talks took place last week.

US floats NATO workarounds that would not require Kyiv to amend constitution

One of the most contentious points in the original 28-point US proposal was the requirement that Ukraine formally renounce its constitutionally enshrined aspiration to join NATO – a key Russian demand and a red line for Kyiv.

However, negotiators have now discussed an arrangement under which Ukraine would not be required to legally abandon that aspiration.

“Ukraine will not be pushed to officially, in the legal sense, reject this aspiration,” the CNN source said.

Instead, Ukraine would be effectively barred from joining the alliance through agreements made without Kyiv’s formal participation – either in bilateral talks between the United States and Russia or through multilateral assurances between NATO states and Moscow:

“But if the United States has something to agree upon with Russia bilaterally, or if Russia wants to receive some assurances from NATO multilaterally, then this is not engaging Ukraine in the decision-making process.”

A final decision, the source emphasized, has not yet been made and would ultimately rest with Ukraine’s president.

Territorial issue in Donbas remains “too sensitive” for disclosure

Another major sticking point is Russia’s demand – included in the original US proposal – for Ukraine to surrender control over parts of the Donbas region that Moscow has annexed but not fully captured.

The US plan envisioned turning the area into a Russian-administered demilitarized zone that would not host Russian military forces.

The source told CNN that discussions on this issue are advancing, emphasizing that no proposal undermining Ukraine’s defense posture is being considered:

“The idea to give up the control to Russians, where it would significantly weaken Ukraine’s defense and make further potential aggression more likely to happen and significantly decrease Ukraine’s capability, this is out of the scope. But that doesn’t mean that there are no potential ways of preserving the constitutional provisions and keeping Ukraine’s security.”

The source declined to specify what those options are, calling the matter “too sensitive.”

“I really believe that if it becomes public, we may ruin the potential solution,” the source added.

Moscow’s hardline stance looms over negotiations

Even as US negotiators explore creative solutions around Kyiv’s constraints, the source warned that Russia itself may become the next – and larger – obstacle.

The Kremlin has so far shown no willingness to soften its maximalist demands for Ukrainian subjugation before ending the war.

“Amid hints of Ukrainian compromises being forged by US negotiators,” CNN wrote, the biggest challenge ahead may be “getting Russia to accept them.”

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where he is expected to be briefed on the Florida negotiations by Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation in the talks.

Meanwhile, a US delegation headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is set to travel to Moscow for the next round of discussions with the Kremlin, marking a new phase in Washington’s shuttle diplomacy.