A top Ukrainian delegation will arrive in the United States ahead of special envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with top Russian officials in Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov would lead the delegation, marking the replacement of the former head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, who had led diplomatic delegations to the U.S. in the past. Umerov had to be chosen quickly after the trusted Yermak resigned, following his implication in a massive corruption scandal.
Zelensky said Umerov’s team was already on its way to the U.S. on Saturday morning.
“Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war. Ukraine continues to work with the United States in the most constructive way possible, and we expect that the results of the meetings in Geneva will now be hammered out in the United States,” he said in a post on X, adding that the delegation would report back to him on Sunday.
“Ukraine is working for a dignified peace. Glory to Ukraine!” Zelensky said.
The negotiations come as Kyiv seeks to alter a U.S. peace plan to include less politically unviable terms for Ukraine, while also avoiding angering its most vital ally. President Donald Trump previously gave Ukraine a Thanksgiving deadline to accept the deal or lose U.S. support, but altered the deadline after his administration met with other Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva, who outlined a modified plan.
Negotiations have been complicated by “Mindichgate,” Zelensky’s biggest domestic scandal since the war began. The corruption scandal threatened the confidence of Ukraine’s Western partners, ultimately leading to Zelensky’s longest and closest ally resigning under heavy pressure. Yermak often served as a stand-in for Zelensky in high-level trips abroad, constantly shuttling between European capitals and Washington to drum up support.
Yermak’s abrasive style and vast power earned him plenty of enemies abroad. Over a dozen sources speaking with Politico in June said the Trump and Biden administrations had quickly grown annoyed with Yermak over his abrasive and demanding style. One source referred to him as a “bipartisan irritator.”
FORMER UKRAINIAN ‘CO-PRESIDENT’ YERMAK SAYS HE’S ‘GOING TO THE FRONT’ AFTER SHOCK RESIGNATION
His departure is likewise sure to cause relief in Western capitals. Russian and some Ukrainian Telegram channels have speculated that Yermak’s resignation came after pressure from Washington.
Although Umerov will take Yermak’s place in this round of negotiations, Zelensky has yet to select a proper replacement for the powerful position of head of the president’s office.