Ukraine peace talks productive as ex-government official says country rethinking 'uncompromising' stance

Official bid talks betwixt the U.S. and Ukraine connected ending the Ukraine warfare moved to a productive signifier Sunday – but lone aft President Zelenskyy sent a new-look squad to Florida, according to a erstwhile Ukrainian authorities official.

With Rustem Umerov present starring Zelenskyy's squad and longtime advisor and main of unit Andriy Yermak out, the root claimed the determination signaled Kyiv was reassessing its "uncompromising" stance.

The official, who spoke to Fox News Digital connected information of anonymity, said the unit prime represented a determination distant from the attack that has shaped Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy for years.

"Yermak had been teaching Zelenskyy to beryllium a 'Father of the Nation’ and until now, the Ukrainian broadside has been pushing for an unachievable and uncompromising position," the erstwhile authoritative said.

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE

Ukrainian officials, near to right; Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief to the Head of the Defense Intelligence and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security, during a gathering with U.S. officials Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, successful Hallandale Beach, Florida. (Terry Renna/AP Photo)

"Umerov is not a precise impressively beardown idiosyncratic successful politics, but helium wants to execute results and is known to beryllium aligned with compromise."

Ukraine’s caller delegation besides included Andrii Hnatov, caput of the equipped forces; Andrii Sybiha, the overseas minister; and Umerov, who is caput of the country’s information council.

After the meeting, Umerov offered a little appraisal to reporters, saying: "We are grateful to American people, American enactment and a large squad with, authorities secretary, Steve, with some Jared Kushner for their tremendous enactment with us," helium said.

"Our nonsubjective is simply a prosperous, beardown Ukraine. We volition [be] discussing [sic] the aboriginal of Ukraine. We discussed each the important matters that are important for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people. And the U.S was ace supportive."

"We already had a palmy gathering successful Geneva, and contiguous we tin proceed this success. So astatine the moment, this gathering was productive and palmy successful the aboriginal stages."

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE

The caller squad traveled to Florida for discussions aimed astatine refining President Trump’s projected model and his propulsion to extremity Russia’s warfare against Ukraine.

Sunday’s negotiations besides took spot aft a leak published by Bloomberg News, revealed a transcript of an Oct. 14 call where peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff allegedly offered proposal to Russian officials connected however to merchantability a bid program to Trump.

"The Ukrainian broadside had successful immoderate mode undermined bid negotiations and Donald Trump's efforts, not mentioning that it prolongs the war," the erstwhile authoritative said.

UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL YERMAK RESIGNS AS CORRUPTION PROBE ENCIRCLES ZELENSKYY

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speech to the property arsenic their consultations proceed astatine the U.S. Mission to International Organizations successful Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)

The aforesaid erstwhile authoritative said the displacement successful Kyiv’s delegation followed the melodramatic resignation of Yermak, aft anti-corruption investigators raided his location connected Friday.

"Yermak was profoundly distrusted by galore actors, including Western actors including the U.S. medication and including Biden's administration," the root added.

Despite his exit, the authoritative warned that Yermak’s power whitethorn inactive beryllium shaping the Ukrainian team.

"Mr. Yermak is inactive determination and, successful fact, each the delegation that came to Florida includes Mr. Yermak's people, his loyal people, precise adjacent personally to him –  people who [have] been serving him faithfully for years."

"Yermak has not disappeared and mightiness beryllium connected the telephone oregon online and ruling the docket down the scenes," they added.

RUBIO, WITKOFF MEET WITH UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN PUSH TO FINALIZE DEAL AFTER ZELENSKYY'S TOP NEGOTIATOR RESIGNS

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio clasp aft a gathering connected Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, successful Hallandale Beach, Fla. (Terry Renna/AP Photo)

They said Yermak’s long-standing governing benignant inactive influences Kyiv’s governmental posture:

"In Ukraine, arsenic successful galore post-Soviet countries, determination is inactive the alleged 'telephone rule', erstwhile a almighty idiosyncratic tin power the result of immoderate ceremonial decision-making contempt lacking ceremonial powers and successful contradiction with the law."

"Yermak has been doing this for the past six and a fractional years," the root added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, and elder advisor Jared Kushner led the American broadside successful Sunday’s session.

Rubio told reporters aft the meeting: "We had different precise productive session. Building disconnected Geneva, gathering disconnected the events of this week," helium said.

ZELENSKYY WARNS UKRAINE FACES ‘DIFFICULT CHOICE’ AS US PEACE PLAN HITS MAJOR HURDLE 

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Jared Kushner perceive arsenic Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov speaks portion starring Ukrainian delegation during a gathering successful Hallandale Beach, Florida, connected November 30, 2025.  (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

"As I told you earlier this morning, our extremity present is to extremity the war," helium continued. "But it's much than conscionable to extremity the war. We don't conscionable privation to extremity the war. We besides privation to assistance Ukraine beryllium harmless forever. So ne'er again volition they look different invasion. And arsenic importantly, we privation them to participate an property of existent prosperity."

He besides said helium thinks determination is "a bully accidental we tin marque a deal."

In a station shared connected X, Zelenskyy highlighted Umerov's enactment successful Florida arsenic the caput of the Ukrainian delegation.

"Today, pursuing the enactment of the teams successful the United States, caput of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov reported connected the main parameters of the dialogue, its emphases, and immoderate preliminary results," helium said.

"It is important that the talks person a constructive dynamic and that each issues were discussed openly and with a wide absorption connected ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and nationalist interests. I americium grateful to the United States, to President Trump’s team, and to the President personally for the clip that is being invested truthful intensively successful defining the steps to extremity the war. We volition proceed working. I look guardant to receiving a afloat study from our squad during a idiosyncratic meeting."

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Sunday's talks came conscionable hours aft different deadly Russian onslaught connected Kyiv killed astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and wounded 19, including 4 children.

Since Russia’s full-scale penetration successful 2022, the warfare has near immense areas of Ukraine devastated and astir 20% of its territory nether occupation.