Top Ukrainian official denies he 'approved' US peace plan after claims he pushed for self-protection clause
Editor's note: This is a breaking story and is being updated.
Top Ukrainian official and ex-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov denied on Nov. 21 that he had approved or changed any clauses of the new U.S. peace plan that was presented to Kyiv a day before.
Umerov’s statement came in response to allegations that he might have manipulated the clause that could lead to criminal action being taken against Ukrainian officials found guilty of corruption.
A draft version of the 28-point peace plan drafted by the U.S. as part of a new push to pressure Ukraine into accepting an unfavorable end to Russia’s all-out war reportedly originally proposed an audit of all international aid to Ukraine.
But the language was later changed to offer "full amnesty for actions during the war" to all parties involved.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 20, citing an unnamed senior U.S. official, that during talks with the U.S., Ukraine changed this specific point in the version that circulated online. Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent for the WSJ, claimed on X that it was Umerov who had done so.
Umerov — who now serves as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council — dismissed media reports as "unverified information," saying that during his recent visit to the U.S. his role was to organize meetings and "prepare the dialogue."
"I provided no assessments or, even more so, approvals of any points. This is not within my authority and does not correspond to the procedure," Umerov said on social media.
"Media reports about alleged 'approvals' or 'removal of points' have nothing to do with reality."
The reports come as Ukraine is being rocked by the largest corruption scandal of President Volodymyr Zelensky's term. Earlier this month, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) charged eight suspects in a scheme involving the state nuclear company Energoatom, naming Timur Mindich, one of Zelensky's closest associates, as the ringleader.
Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, were fired on Nov. 19. They have not been charged. Those implicated also include Umerov, who previously served as a defense minister.
When asked why Umerov would push for such a change in the peace deal, a pro-government Ukrainian lawmaker told the Kyiv Independent that "maybe it’s related to the NABU investigation."
"Maybe he sees some danger to himself," they added. "Because it’s been rumored that he's (a target of the investigation). NABU didn’t confirm it, but they didn’t say it never happened. So maybe it’s just like an instinct of survival."
The Ukrainian lawmaker was at pains to stress that no firm conclusions could be drawn right now.
"I don’t know. It might have happened. But we don’t have any proof of that," they said.
The same source told the Kyiv Independent that during a meeting with Zelensky and his parliamentary faction on the evening of Nov. 20, the issue of Umerov's dismissal was not raised.
When asked about the peace plan that had been reported in the media in recent days, the president effectively evaded the answer, according to the lawmaker.
"He hinted that there would be leaks next week, but said, 'we will not betray Ukraine,'" the source added.
