Ukraine’s top security official confirmed Friday that his country, the US and Russia had held the first-ever trilateral meeting meant to restart long-stalled efforts to end Moscow’s nearly four-year-old invasion.
In a post on X, Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the particiants — including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Gen. Daniel Driscoll, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum for the US— discussed charting a path toward ending the deadliest European conflict since World War II.
“The meeting focused on the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process aimed at advancing toward a dignified and lasting peace,” he said.
Representing Ukraine were Umerov, Ukrainian parliament majority leader David Arakhamia, chief of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s office Kyrylo Budanov, as well as his deputy, Sergiy Kyslytsya.
Moscow’s team included intelligence and defense leaders led by Russian chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian army Igor Kostyukov, according to the Kremlin.
“These aspects: Buffer zones, various control mechanisms, are discussed at the meeting along with other important topics,” an unidentified source told Russia’s state-run TASS news.
Additional talks are expected to be held on Saturday, Umerov added.
