Top Ukrainian officials to meet US delegation this week amid proposed peace talks, Bloomberg reports
Presidential Office Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov are heading to New York this week to discuss security guarantees and future peace talks, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 27.
U.S. President Donald Trump's Russia envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Aug. 26 confirmed he would meet Ukrainian officials this week, but did not specify who would be in attendance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 25 said that Ukrainian and U.S. delegations would meet to discuss potential talks between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The upcoming meeting will focus on future security guarantees for Ukraine and setting up a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, an unnamed person familiar with the plans told Bloomberg.
On Aug. 22, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Yermak met to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, the news outlet Suspilne reported, citing sources in the Presidential Office familiar with the negotiations.
Trump met Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 and then met Zelensky alongside European leaders in the White House days later.
The U.S. leader has said he plans to host a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, followed by a trilateral meeting consisting of the three leaders if talks go well.
Trump has said he hopes the proposed Zelensky-Putin meeting can be held within the next two weeks as the U.S. leader seeks a swift agreement to a peace deal.
In May, Zelensky invited Putin to meet him directly for peace talks in Turkey, but the Russian leader refused.
Zelensky said on Aug. 18 that he will directly discuss territory with Putin in a potential meeting.
"(T)he question of territory is a question that we will leave between me and Putin. Security guarantees will probably be negotiated with our partners," he said.
