Ukraine peace efforts resume with planned Umerov-Witkoff meeting

Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov is expected to travel to Miami as early as this week for talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

The planned meeting comes as negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine have stalled and received less international attention amid the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, which has driven up global energy prices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no indication of retreating from Moscow’s territorial demands in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, despite Russian forces failing to fully capture the area during the war, now in its fifth year.

Previous rounds of negotiations reportedly produced progress on several issues, but major disagreements remain over the status of occupied territories and the scope of future security guarantees for Ukraine. Moscow is demanding that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region, while Ukraine insists it will neither surrender territory under its control nor recognise land occupied by Russia.

The people familiar with the matter, including a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide details about the agenda for the possible meeting.

Kyiv had previously hoped that Witkoff would visit Ukraine alongside another US envoy, Jared Kushner, although that trip now appears uncertain. In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said both officials had been invited but had not confirmed a visit, while remaining in contact with Ukrainian counterparts.

Ukraine this week proposed a truce to Russia, but fighting continued on Wednesday after overnight attacks on several Ukrainian cities. The escalation comes ahead of Putin’s unilateral proposal for a ceasefire during the annual May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

Umerov’s trip also follows renewed attention on a corruption scandal involving several former and current associates of Zelenskyy. Last week, investigative outlet Ukrayinska Pravda published recordings allegedly made by Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities that included conversations involving Umerov.

Following the report, Ukrainian lawmakers summoned Umerov to parliament for questioning. However, the National Security and Defence Council said he could not attend because of his overseas business trip, according to Ukrayinska Pravda.

Umerov’s press service said the authenticity of the recordings released by the outlet should be verified by the relevant authorities.

By Tamilla Hasanova