Official peace talks between the US and Ukraine on ending the war in Ukraine entered a productive phase on Sunday – but only after President Zelenskyy sent a new team to Florida, a former Ukrainian government official said.
With Rustem Umerov leading Zelenskyy’s team and longtime adviser and chief of staff Andriy Yermak out, the source claimed the move was a signal that Kiev was reconsidering its “uncompromising” stance.
“Yermak taught Zelensky to be a ‘Father of the Nation’ and so far the Ukrainian side has insisted on an unfeasible and uncompromising position,” the former official said.
Momentum is building in the push for peace in Ukraine, but experts fear Putin will not relent
Ukrainian officials, from left to right; Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of Defense Intelligence Agency and Rustem Umerov, Minister of National Security, during a meeting with US officials on Sunday, November 30, 2025, in Hallandale Beach, Florida. (Terry Renna/AP Photo)
“Umerov is not an impressively strong individual in politics, but he wants to achieve results and is known for making compromises.”
The new Ukrainian delegation also included Andrii Hnatov, head of the armed forces; Andrii Sybiha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Umerov, head of the country’s security council.
After the meeting, Umerov gave a brief assessment to reporters, saying: “We are grateful to the American people, the American leadership and the great team with Secretary of State Steve and both Jared Kushner for their great work with us,” he said.
“Our goal is a prosperous, strong Ukraine. We will do that [be] discuss [sic] the future of Ukraine. We discussed all the important issues that are important for Ukraine, for the Ukrainian people. And the US has been super supportive.”
“We already had a successful meeting in Geneva, and today we can continue this success. So at this point this meeting was productive and successful in the later stages.”
Momentum is building in the push for peace in Ukraine, but experts fear Putin will not relent
The new team traveled to Florida for discussions aimed at refining President Trump’s proposed framework and his push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Sunday’s negotiations also took place after a leak published by Bloomberg News revealed a transcript of an Oct. 14 call in which Special Envoy Steve Witkoff allegedly provided advice to Russian officials on how to sell a peace plan to Trump.
“The Ukrainian side had somehow undermined the peace negotiations and Donald Trump’s efforts, without mentioning that this prolongs the war,” the former official said.
UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL YERMAK RESIGNS AS CORRUPTION PROBE SURROUNDS ZELENSKYY
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio talk to the press as their consultations continue at the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
The same former official said the shift in the Kiev delegation followed Yermak’s dramatic resignation after anti-corruption investigators raided his home on Friday.
“Yermak was deeply distrusted by many actors, including Western actors, including the US government and the Biden administration,” the source added.
Despite his departure, the referee warned that Yermak’s influence could still define the Ukrainian team.
“Mr. Yermak is still there and in fact the entire delegation that has come to Florida includes Mr. Yermak’s people, his loyal people, who are personally very close to him – people who [have] I have served him faithfully for years.”
“Yermak has not disappeared and may be on the phone or online setting the agenda behind the scenes,” she added.
RUBIO AND WITKOFF MEET UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS ABOUT TO COMPLETE AGREEMENT AFTER REPORTING ZELENSKYY’S TOP NEGOTIATOR
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio embrace after a meeting on Sunday, November 30, 2025, in Hallandale Beach, Florida. (Terry Renna/AP Photo)
They said Yermak’s long-standing governing style still influences Kiev’s political stance:
“In Ukraine, as in many post-Soviet countries, the so-called ‘telephone rule’ still exists, whereby a powerful person can influence the outcome of formal decision-making, despite the lack of formal powers and in violation of the law.”
“Yermak has been doing this for the past six and a half years,” the source added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner led the U.S. side during Sunday’s session.
Rubio told reporters after the meeting: “We had another very productive session. Building on Geneva, building on the events of this week,” he said.
ZELENSKYY WARNS UKRAINE OF ‘DIFFICULT CHOICE’ AS UNITED STATES PEACE PLAN FACES MAJOR HINDERS
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner listen as Minister of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov speaks while leading the Ukrainian delegation during a meeting in Hallandale Beach, Florida, on November 30, 2025. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
“As I told you earlier this morning, our goal here is to end the war,” he continued. “But it’s more than just ending the war. We don’t just want to end the war. We also want to help Ukraine stay safe forever. So they will never face another invasion. And just as importantly, we want them to enter an era of real prosperity.”
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he had spoken with Rubio and Witkoff and that they were “doing well.”
“Ukraine has some tough little problems,” Trump said. “They have some difficult problems. But I think Russia would like to see an end to it and I think Ukraine… I know Ukraine would like to see an end to it.”
He also said he thinks there’s “a good chance we can make a deal.”
In a post shared on X, Zelenskyy highlighted Umerov’s work in Florida as head of the Ukrainian delegation.
“Today, after the work of the teams in the United States, the head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov reported on the main parameters of the dialogue, its emphases and some preliminary results,” he said.
“It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues are discussed openly and with a clear focus on safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests. I am personally grateful to the United States, President Trump’s team and the President for the time invested so intensively in defining the steps to end the war. We will continue to work. I look forward to receiving a full report from our team at an in-person meeting.”
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Sunday’s talks came just hours after another deadly Russian attack on Kiev killed at least one person and injured 19, including four children, Euronews reported.
Since Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022, the war has devastated large parts of Ukraine and occupied about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
