US official contradicts Ukraine’s Umerov’s claim that he didn’t amend peace plan
Editor's note: This is a breaking story and is being updated.
A senior U.S. official on Nov. 21 contradicted a claim earlier made by Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, that he had not approved or changed any clauses of the new U.S. peace plan.
Umerov’s statement earlier in the day 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 reportedly 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 earlier served as defense minister, 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."
But a senior U.S. official speaking to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity said this was not true.
"This plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior members of President Zelensky’s administration, Rustem Umerov, who agreed to the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and presented it to President Zelensky," they said.
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."
"I don’t know. It might have happened. But we don’t have any proof of that," they said.
NABU declined to comment when asked by the Kyiv Independent if Umerov was under investigation, or if he had negotiated the terms of his return to Ukraine while in the U.S.
When asked if NABU came under pressure from a U.S. delegation on Nov. 20 to temporarily hold off publishing any new findings, a NABU spokesperson said that "no one put pressure on us."
Another source familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that "there are real attempts to prove that there was no corruption under Umerov."
"People close to him are speaking to embassies, saying that he was in no way involved in corruption and so on and so forth," they said.
The first 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.
Zelensky has yet to comment on the reports. Later in the day on Nov. 21, he discussed "the plan for peace for Ukraine and all of Europe" with French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace," Zelensky said in a post on social media.
"We are closely coordinating to ensure that the key positions are taken into account."
