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Secret meetings between Ukraine's top peace negotiator and FBI leadership are adding uncertainty to crucial talks to end the war, according to diplomats and officials with knowledge of the matter.
In recent weeks, Volodymyr Zelensky's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, has traveled to Miami three times to meet with President Donald Trump's chief envoy, Steve Witkoff, and discuss the proposal to end the war with Russia.
However, during his stay in the US, Umerov also had secret meetings with FBI Director Cass Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bonzino.
The meetings have alarmed Western officials, who say they are unaware of their purpose. Some believe that Umerov and other Ukrainian officials approached Patel and Bonzhino in the hope of securing amnesty for possible corruption charges. Others fear that this newly created communication channel could be used to pressure the Zelensky government to accept the Trump administration’s peace deal, which includes tough concessions from Kiev.
Ukraine's ambassador to Washington, Olga Stefanyshyna, confirmed Umerov's meeting with the FBI and told the Washington Post that the meeting dealt exclusively with national security matters that could not be made public.
An FBI official said the meetings discussed shared law enforcement and national security interests between the two countries. The issue of corruption in Ukraine was raised in one of the meetings, but was not the main focus of the discussions. Any suggestion that Patel's discussions were inappropriate is "complete nonsense," the official added.
Both FBI directors have been publicly critical of Ukraine at times. In March, Patel questioned the amount of U.S. aid to the country and called on Congress to investigate whether U.S. funds were misused. Bonzino has accused Zelensky of covering up alleged corrupt activities by former President Joe Biden's son, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
A White House official said that “US officials regularly communicate with world leaders on national security issues of mutual interest” and added that Trump’s national security team is in contact with both Russia and Ukraine with the goal of a peace agreement. Those raising concerns about the FBI meetings are unaware of these diplomatic conversations and do not know what they are talking about.
A spokesman for Zelensky's office declined to comment on the specific meetings, but stressed that "it is foolish to link everything to 'corruption.'" The discussions are taking place at a critical time for Ukraine, which is under pressure from the Trump administration to accept a proposal to end the war with significant consequences for its borders and territorial integrity.
At the same time, the country is grappling with its biggest corruption scandal since Zelensky took power in 2019. Last month, Ukrainian investigators alleged that $100 million was embezzled from the energy sector through bribes and illegal payments. There has been speculation inside and outside Ukraine that Umerov, who is also the national security adviser, could be involved in the embezzlement probe, especially now that the probe is expanding to the defense sector. Umerov had served as defense minister.
Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Volodymyr Ariyev called it irresponsible to retain Umerov as a negotiator. Umerov's supporters argue that his presence is an advantage for Kiev, as his mild manner and fluent English have created a good relationship with American officials.
However, the meetings with the FBI have raised suspicions among Western allies due to the presence of Patel, who was linked to the threat to cut off US aid to Ukraine.
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