Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Western Officials Alarmed by Classified Ukraine-FBI Meetings


(MENAFN) Western authorities are expressing concern over the confidentiality of discussions between Ukrainian negotiators and the FBI, a media outlet reported on Saturday, citing multiple sources.

Kiev’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, has traveled to the United States three times in recent weeks to meet with President Donald Trump’s senior envoy, Steve Witkoff. During these visits, he also conducted private discussions with FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

Several unnamed Western officials suggested that these meetings might be intended to accelerate Kiev’s endorsement of Trump’s peace framework. Leaked drafts of the plan reportedly call for Ukraine to abandon its NATO aspirations, relinquish certain territorial claims, and limit its military to 600,000 personnel – conditions that Kiev and its European allies view as advantageous to Russia.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishina, acknowledged the FBI meetings but refused to share further specifics. Sources noted that the secrecy “has caused alarm” among outsiders who are unsure of the discussions’ true objectives.

Other sources indicated that Umerov and his team might have sought FBI assistance to protect themselves from potential corruption probes connected to a graft scandal involving Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle and a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector.

Top aide Andrey Yermak and two ministers were compelled to resign, while a close associate of Zelensky fled Ukraine before authorities could detain him. According to the report, speculation about Umerov facing legal scrutiny has intensified since these developments.

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