Official: Zelenskyy appoints Umerov to replace Yermak as head of Ukraine's delegation for peace talks ahead of US visit
Kyiv • UNN
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov as the head of Ukraine's delegation to participate in the negotiation process with the United States and other international partners, as well as with representatives of the Russian Federation. Previously, this delegation was headed by Andriy Yermak.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov as the head of Ukraine's delegation for participation in the negotiation process with the United States and other international partners of Ukraine, as well as with representatives of the Russian Federation, regarding the achievement of a just and lasting peace. This delegation was previously headed by the dismissed Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, according to presidential decree No. 869/2025 of November 28, writes UNN.
Details
The decree states a "partial change to Article 1 of the Decree of the President of Ukraine of November 22, 2025, No. 854/2025" regarding the Ukrainian delegation. That decree designated the then-head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, as the head of the delegation. Yermak was dismissed by presidential decree the day before.
The current decree defines the following composition of the Ukrainian delegation:
- Rustem Umerov - Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, head of the delegation;
- Oleksandr Bevz - Advisor to the Cabinet of the President of Ukraine, Office of the President of Ukraine;
- Kyrylo Budanov - Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
- Andriy Hnatov - Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Oleh Ivashchenko - Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine;
- Serhiy Kyslytsia - First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- Yevheniy Ostryanskyi - First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Poklad - Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine;
- Vadym Skibitskyi - Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
This decree enters into force on the day of its publication.
Addition
Ukrainian officials Rustem Umerov and First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia have reportedly traveled to the US to further discuss the peace plan.
Before this, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced upcoming meetings with the American side.
Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller reported on social network X that instead of the dismissed Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov would participate in negotiations with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and the US delegation.