Ukraine's chief negotiator in Miami for talks on POWs, peace process with US officials
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Editor's note: This story has been updated with confirmation from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, arrived in Miami for talks with U.S. officials, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 7.
The visit comes as U.S.-mediated peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have remained stalled for more than two months, with Washington increasingly focused on the conflict with Iran.
The Ukrainian president said that Umerov would focus on humanitarian matters, including prisoner-of-war exchanges and efforts to revive the peace process with Russia during his visit.
Zelensky added that the negotiator had been given "several specific security-related instructions" concerning Ukraine's cooperation with the United States, without elaborating further.
According to Bloomberg, Umerov was expected to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff during the trip. A White House official confirmed that preparations for the meeting were underway.
Kyiv had hoped Witkoff and fellow envoy Jared Kushner would travel to Ukraine to help restart negotiations with Russia. But concerns have grown in Washington that renewed engagement could again fail to produce meaningful results.
While Kyiv is seeking to restart negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier in April that talks with Ukraine are not currently a priority for Moscow.
Key disagreements continue to prevent progress, particularly over Russia's territorial demands.
Kyiv argues that freezing the current front line is the most realistic basis for a ceasefire. Moscow, meanwhile, continues to demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Donbas as a condition for any settlement — a proposal Ukraine has rejected.
