A Ukrainian delegation arrived in Florida on Sunday to begin talks with top members of the Trump administration, the first meeting with the Americans following the resignation of Andriy Yermak, a powerful aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were all in attendance at Sunday’s meeting.
Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council who is leading the visit, said the Ukrainian delegation has “clear directives and priorities,” including “safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva.”
The visit is expected to kickstart a week of diplomacy as the Trump administration pushes to end the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. It’s also unfolding as Zelenskyy wrestles with the aftermath of the corruption allegations that touched his inner circle and led to the resignation of his influential but polarising chief of staff on Friday.
Yermak had been deeply involved in recent negotiations on how to end the war.
On Saturday, Ukrainian former military chief and four-star general Valerii Zaluzhnyi penned an op-ed in the Telegraph calling for political change in post-war Ukraine.
Zaluzhniy gained popularity after leading Ukraine’s defence against Russia, and is widely believed to be a future candidate for president once the war ends.
“Peace, even in anticipation of the next war, provides a chance for political change, for deep reforms, for full recovery, economic growth and the return of citizens,” he wrote in the op-ed, the text of which he later reposted on social media.
Zaluzhnyi also called for “strengthening the foundations of justice through the fight against corruption,” an apparent reference to the corruption cases currently swirling around Zelenskyy’s allies.
Zaluzhnyi has previously denied reports that he is preparing a political campaign. However, he has widespread backing from opposition groups.
Ukrainian officials head to US for peace talks following night of heavy attacks
After a night of heavy Russian bombardment, a Ukrainian delegation is heading to the United…
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Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday the talks with the Ukrainians aimed at “creating a pathway” for a sovereign Ukraine.
In a social media post from the meeting, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said the talks have been “very engaging and so far constructive.”
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