Ukrainian negotiator in US in bid to revive talks with Russia, Zelenskyy says

Published on 07/05/2026 - 17:26 GMT+2

Ukraine's apical negotiator Rustem Umerov volition clasp talks with US officials successful Florida connected Thursday connected however to extremity the full-scale Russian invasion, Kyiv said connected Thursday, amid stalled negotiations during the Iran war.

"The Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine volition clasp a bid of meetings contiguous with envoys of the President of the United States," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote successful a station connected X.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv had “defined the cardinal tasks,” which includes discussing a imaginable captive speech with Russia and information guarantees for a post-war Ukraine.

“Rustem and I discussed enactment with our European partners connected Drone Deals. We are preparing the agreements reached astatine the highest level, arsenic good arsenic caller steps successful associated technological work,” Zelenskyy wrote.

US-mediated talks connected ending Europe's worst struggle since World War II person shown small advancement since February, erstwhile Washington shifted absorption to its warfare with Iran.

Umerov past met with US peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner successful Florida betwixt 21-22 March.

Since returning to office, Trump has pushed Moscow and Kyiv to negociate but months of talks person failed to bring the warring parties person to an statement to halt the fighting, triggered by Russia's full-scale penetration 4 years ago.

The already stalled talks were enactment connected the backmost burner from precocious February, erstwhile the US-Israeli aerial run against Iran began.

Even earlier the Middle East war, Russia and Ukraine remained astatine likelihood implicit the cardinal contented of territory.

Ukraine has projected freezing the struggle on the existent beforehand lines.

But Russia has rejected this, saying it wants the full of the Donetsk portion contempt it being partially controlled by Ukraine, a request Kyiv says is unacceptable.

Kremlin ceasefire

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said connected Thursday that it would statesman a two-day ceasefire with Ukraine starting astatine midnight that is meant to screen its patriotic 9 May parade, aft ignoring a Ukrainian ceasefire earlier this week.

Moscow warned overseas diplomats successful Kyiv that it volition onslaught the Ukrainian superior if Ukraine targets its World War II triumph parade.

"Yes, we are talking astir the 8th and 9th of May," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, erstwhile asked if the ceasefire would travel into effect from midnight.

Asked astir the Ukrainian ceasefire connected 6 May, a counter-offer by Kyiv which dismissed Moscow's request to halt warring arsenic "utter cynicism," Peskov said, "There was nary Russian absorption to this."

The Kremlin ordered a scaled-back mentation this year, with nary subject hardware to beryllium connected display, implicit the fearfulness it could beryllium targeted by Ukraine.