Ukraine is sending a new negotiating delegation to the United States led by Rustem Umerov, head of the National Security and Defence Council. The aim of the visit to Washington is to work out further steps that could lead to an end to the armed conflict with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the trip on social media, stating that, following recent talks in Geneva, the American stage of negotiations should build on the points already discussed and move them closer to implementation.
The delegation replaces the previous team led by Andriy Yermak, who was head of the presidential office until Friday. Zelensky dismissed him shortly after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, together with the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, conducted a search of his apartment. The authorities have not yet commented on the broader reasons for the raid, but the media is speculating that the investigation may be related to recent corruption allegations in the energy sector. Yermak has not yet been officially charged with anything.
According to analysts, this is an intervention in Zelensky's team at a time when Ukraine is facing growing pressure from the US to reach a peace agreement. Washington recently presented a 28-point plan, which was discussed in Geneva with representatives of Ukraine and European countries.
The proposal provoked mixed reactions — some states described it as too accommodating towards Moscow. However, according to US President Donald Trump, the document underwent changes after the Geneva round, the details of which were not made public. The US also announced that it would send Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow in the coming days to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Alongside developments on the Ukrainian political scene, signals are coming from Moscow that dialogue with Washington is continuing. Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov He stated that Russia and the United States are still in contact and that he perceives the American approach to the Ukrainian conflict as more pragmatic than the European one. According to him, the US is trying to view the situation more „soberly“, which, according to Moscow, opens up space for continued communication.
Umerov, who will now lead the delegation in the United States, is no stranger to negotiations. He previously represented Kyiv during meetings with the Russian side in Istanbul, where the two countries agreed at least on prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of the fallen. The current mission could therefore be crucial for the further development of the war — whether towards its de-escalation or confirmation that agreements are still a long way off.
gnews.cz - GH
Czech 
English 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German