Ukraine coordinates positions with US, European partners ahead of January talks

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – The head of the Ukrainian delegation for peace talks with Russia announced Wednesday that Kyiv has aligned its diplomatic stance with Washington and key European capitals following a joint call involving senior US and European officials to plan future engagements.

"I briefed the President of Ukraine on the results of a phone call with our American and European partners," Rustem Umerov said in a statement on Facebook.

The discussion included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and US President Donald Trump’s son-in law Jared Kushner alongside national security advisers from the UK, Germany and France, said Umerov.

Umerov said the parties coordinated their positions and are preparing for a specific meeting with European partners scheduled for Jan. 3 in the format of national security advisers.

Representatives from more than 10 countries as well as officials from NATO, the European Commission and the European Council are expected to attend, with US partners joining via video link.

"We will continue working on solutions that are expected to deliver tangible results in the new year," he added.

Umerov's remarks came as Ukraine is intensifying diplomatic coordination with its Western partners. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier announced that national security advisers from the Coalition of the Willing countries led by the UK and France are set to meet in Ukraine on Jan. 3 to align defense priorities followed by leader-level talks planned for Jan. 6 in France.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv is in constant contact with the US and thanked Trump's team for engaging in upcoming negotiations following his recent meeting with the US president in Florida and subsequent comments by Trump about Russian President Vladimir Putin, including Putin’s desire for Ukraine to "succeed," which the Ukrainian president later rejected in a US media interview, emphasizing Kyiv's need for continued American missile and air defense support.