President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not yet have an alternative line-up for the negotiating team. The current team is working and knows all national security advisers in other countries. Together, they discuss the diplomatic process, security guarantees and the economy, the head of state said in response to an LB question at a meeting with journalists held yesterday.
The negotiators carry out a great deal of work every day, he added. At the same time, the President is open to changes.
“I am always open if there is an alternative to the people dealing with this issue. In the media you very often hear politicians and diplomats who supposedly know how to end the war properly. Especially those with extensive experience — 20 to 30 years. I am very open, honestly. Without irony. But for some reason what they supposedly ‘know’ did not really help them when they held positions somewhere,” he said.
Context
The President approved delegates for talks with the US and Russia by decree. At present, Ukraine’s interests in the negotiations are represented, among others, by the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umierov, and the leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, Davyd Arakhamia. Depending on the format, the number of negotiators changes.
The last major changes to the political part of the negotiating team took place last year. After his dismissal, Andriy Yermak stopped taking part in the talks; however, MP Davyd Arakhamia joined the group. Kyrylo Budanov took part in the negotiations as head of the Defence Intelligence Directorate; now he does so as head of the Presidential Office. Serhii Kyslytsia was First Deputy Foreign Minister and became First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office.
The President said that the then Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov, and First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Serhii Kyslytsia, are working on the military track in the negotiations, while Rustem Umierov, Budanov and Arakhamia are on the political track. After Yermak’s dismissal, Rustem Umierov became the group’s de facto leader, performing the role of national security adviser.
Since February last year, trilateral meetings between Ukraine, the US and Russia have been on hold, as the American side focused on the war in the Middle East and the Russians did not initiate any peace steps. The resumption of the meetings is planned for next month.