Ukrainian negotiators have arrived in the United States as international efforts accelerate to establish terms for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, even as Russian drones continue to strike residential areas, injuring more than a dozen civilians.
The delegation, scheduled to meet in Florida on November 30, is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. Umerov replaces Andriy Yermak, who resigned amid a major corruption scandal that has shaken support for President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The U.S. delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow to meet with senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, marking his sixth meeting with Putin since January.
In a statement on social media platform X, Zelensky said the U.S. approach is constructive, and he expressed hope that in the coming days, steps can be agreed upon to determine how to end the war with dignity.
The peace talks come after the Trump administration unveiled a controversial 28-point plan, reflecting many of Russia’s original demands from the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. For some Ukrainians, the plan is seen as tantamount to capitulation after nearly four years of war, which has killed or injured over a million people on both sides.
In response, Kyiv and European allies have worked on an alternative 19-point proposal, leaving critical issues unresolved, including the status of parts of the Donbas region, Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, and potential limitations on Kyiv’s armed forces.
The diplomatic activity follows the dramatic resignation of Yermak, Zelensky’s influential chief of staff, on November 28, hours after anti-corruption investigators raided his office. The raids were linked to alleged bribes involving funds for Ukraine’s vulnerable energy infrastructure. While Yermak has not been charged and is cooperating fully, the scandal represents the most serious political crisis of Zelensky’s six-year tenure.
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks continue unabated. Overnight, a drone strike hit a residential building in Vyshhorod, Kyiv region, killing at least one and injuring over a dozen others. Previous attacks targeted Kyiv and other regions, leaving hundreds of thousands without power as temperatures drop.
Ukraine has increasingly retaliated with strikes on Russian territory, targeting oil and energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian military reported attacks on the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai and a military aviation facility in Rostov region on November 29. Ukraine’s intelligence services also released video footage showing maritime drones targeting Russian tankers in the Black Sea, part of efforts to disrupt Russia’s oil exports.
In addition, Moldova reported violations of its airspace by Russian drones, marking the third such incident in nine days, raising concerns about broader regional escalation.
