David Arakhamia, the parliamentary leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, was among the few foreign dignitaries that attended U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week, the Independent reported on Jan. 26.
Arakhamia was attending the event along with former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, among others, the Independent wrote.
The lawmaker declined to comment on his presence at the inauguration when approached by the Kyiv Independent.
Arakhamia also attended an event called Stars and Stripes & Union Jack party on Jan. 17 before the inauguration, alongside the innermost circles of the Trump administration, the Independent claimed, citing unnamed sources.
Following the event, Arakhamia told the media that he expects a formal Ukrainian delegation to meet with the U.S. president’s team next month.
After his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump reiterated his intent to pursue a peace deal in Ukraine but offered few specifics.
Trump has also voiced his intent to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential peace deal in Ukraine.
The U.S. president told reporters on Jan. 20 that Putin is "destroying Russia by not making a deal" while acknowledging doubts about Moscow's willingness to negotiate. The Trump administration's Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, is also expected to visit Ukraine and meet Ukrainian officials.
Martin Fornusek
