During new meeting with Umerov, Witkoff speaks with Zelenskyy: What is known
Photo: Steve Witkoff (Getty Images)
Today, December 1, US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding a new meeting with the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (RNBO), Rustem Umerov. They also discussed the results of yesterday’s talks with the President of Ukraine, according to a statement by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram and AFP.
"Umerov and Witkoff are holding another meeting right at this moment," informed sources told AFP.
According to them, the US and Ukrainian sides still have "outstanding issues" that need to be discussed.
Later, the Élysée Palace reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Witkoff and Umerov. The President of Ukraine later confirmed this information.
"Just now, together with Emmanuel Macron — Keir Starmer was also on the line — we spoke with Rustem Umerov and Steve Witkoff following the talks in Florida," the Ukrainian leader noted.
Zelenskyy emphasized that they agreed to discuss more details in person and added that their teams would coordinate schedules for possible further contacts.
On Tuesday, December 2, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with Umerov in Ireland, while Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow the same day for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
US peace plan
A few weeks ago, the US presented a new peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. The document contained 28 points, some of which heavily favored Russia.
In this context, on November 23, a meeting was held in Geneva between the delegations of the US, Ukraine, and Europe. The parties worked on revising the document to make it more favorable for Kyiv.
As a result, the plan was modified and is no longer the same as the initial version. Work on the document is still ongoing. On November 30, the US and Ukraine held new talks in Florida.
After the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the parties had made progress, adding that the negotiations are complex.
Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and head of the Ukrainian delegation, informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the results. He noted significant progress toward achieving a just peace and said that the positions of Ukraine and the US have come closer. Zelenskyy confirmed this, stating that work will continue.
Meanwhile, media reports indicate that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow today to continue negotiations, this time with the Russian side.
