FBI Discussions with Kyiv Negotiator Spark Diplomatic Concerns
FBI leaders held secret meetings with Ukraine’s top peace negotiator, Rustem Umerov, in the United States, raising questions about the intent and implications of these discussions.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Washington Post.
According to multiple sources, Umerov traveled to Miami several times to meet with Trump administration envoys, including Steve Witkoff, to discuss proposals for ending the nearly four-year conflict.
During these visits, he also held private, closed-door meetings with FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, which have sparked concern among Western diplomats who remain uncertain about their purpose.
Some officials worry that these newly established channels could be used to exert pressure on Kyiv to accept a peace deal that might include steep concessions, while others speculated that Umerov might have sought assurances regarding potential corruption allegations involving Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian authorities stressed that the meetings with the FBI focused solely on national security and law enforcement matters. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that while topics such as white-collar corruption were briefly mentioned, they were not the main focus and dismissed claims of inappropriate conduct.
The timing of the meetings is particularly sensitive, as Ukraine faces pressure from the Trump administration to negotiate an end-of-war proposal that could significantly affect its borders and territorial integrity.
High-level meetings between the FBI and a top Ukrainian negotiator are unusual, as the agency typically collaborates with Ukraine on anti-corruption efforts through NABU rather than direct political negotiations. Observers point out that the growing number of US officials involved, including Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others, has created confusion over negotiation terms and US policy priorities.
In the first days of December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a series of important meetings with leading European leaders in London and online with the Coalition of the Willing countries, where they discussed a peace plan, security guarantees, Europe’s role, and the next steps in negotiations to end the war with Russia. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and emphasized the necessity of adhering to the principle of “no peace at Ukraine’s expense.”
At the same time, Ukraine submitted an updated peace plan to the United States, intended to serve as the basis for further dialogue and to reflect Kyiv’s position along with that of its European partners.
In the US, the situation surrounding the peace process remains complicated. President Donald Trump has openly pressured Ukraine, urging it to agree more quickly to the US-Russia peace plan, and has criticized Zelenskyy for allegedly being unwilling to consider these proposals, stating that “Russia has the advantage.”
Representatives of Ukraine, the US, and EU countries are expected to hold important talks in Paris on October 13 over controversial points in Donald Trump's peace plan.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on December 5, a fresh round of discussions between Ukraine’s negotiating team and envoys representing US President Donald Trump was wrapped up in Miami, Florida.
Read also on The Gaze: Trump's Team Insists it is not Pressuring Zelenskyy to Accept a ‘Peace Deal’