A delegation of senior Ukrainian officials is en route to the United States for peace talks aimed at ending the war with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Saturday that Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, will lead the delegation.
“The task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Ukraine continues to work with the United States in the most constructive way possible.”
The delegation is expected to meet Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Florida, according to Bloomberg. (RELATED: Trump Teases ‘Something Good’ Happening On Ukraine Peace, But ‘Don’t Believe It Until You See It’)
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov, together with the team, is already on the way to the United States. Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 29, 2025
Umerov takes over diplomatic duties after Zelenskyy fired top adviser Andriy Yermak on Friday. Ukraine‘s anti-corruption watchdog raided Yermak’s home earlier that day. Yermak had served as Kyiv’s key interlocutor with Western allies and was widely considered the second-most powerful man in the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and armed forces Chief of Staff Andrii Hnatov are also part of the U.S.-bound delegation.
The Sunday talks follow the Trump administration’s 28-point peace plan proposal. Ukraine and European allies have criticized the plan as too favorable to Russia. The original proposal included significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, including the Donbas region, and would limit the size of Ukraine’s military.
Trump has said the peace plan was not a “final offer” and that room for negotiations remains.
Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week for talks with Russian officials.
