Yermak suggested that Trump's team continue the war until the borders are restored to their 2022 status: how the head of the Office of the President's ideas were received in the U.S.
The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, visited Washington to establish connections with future representatives of Donald Trump's administration. His trip included meetings with close associates of the elected U.S. president, particularly J.D. Vance and Keith Kellogg, who is likely to become the special representative for Russia and Ukraine. However, key proposals from the Ukrainian side were met with skepticism.
Specifically, Yermak raised the issue of returning to Ukraine's borders as of 2022 and the potential for Ukraine to join NATO. Nevertheless, these ideas were received coolly by the American side. Representatives from Trump's team expressed dissatisfaction with the information provided about the situation at the front, which they believed did not reflect reality. Political analyst Yulia Zabelina shared these outcomes of the president's office head's visit to the U.S. in a comment to Radio NV.
Why the meetings were brief
The American side prepared for the dialogue with Yermak by studying his activities and reputation. However, despite this, the meetings were short due to the busy schedule of Trump's team representatives. Secretary of State candidate Mark Rubio declined to meet with Yermak altogether.
"Yermak presented himself as an envoy from President [Volodymyr] Zelensky to get acquainted. Therefore, when someone spreads information now that some decisions have already been made, that is not true," Zabelina emphasizes.
Disappointment in Washington
American politicians stressed that they have more accurate intelligence about the situation in Ukraine than what Yermak presented. Zabelina also noted that the topic of Ukraine's NATO membership evokes a negative reaction among Trump's supporters, as well as within the current Democratic administration.
"... the American side was not entirely satisfied with the information it received from Yermak about the current situation at the front. They have the real situation, while they are being told a somewhat embellished version... And one more point I want to make is that Yermak brought certain proposals: about the borders of 2022, about the need for us to reclaim territory... and about Ukraine's accession to NATO, which is generally met very coolly and negatively by Trump supporters. This is something they should have prepared for and understood that such a reaction from the Americans would occur. Whether the Ukrainian side was prepared for this, I have certain doubts," Zabelina explained.
Is Ukraine ready for changes in the White House?
Political analyst Yulia Zabelina suggests that the Ukrainian delegation was not fully prepared for the potentially critical reaction from the American side. Meanwhile, other countries, like Hungary and Israel, are actively working with lobbyists close to Trump, which may influence their future cooperation with the new administration. Zabelina emphasized that Trump dislikes any agreements he does not negotiate himself.
"Having communication with Trump supporters, I can say: they can currently say anything in meetings. I am confident that they tossed certain ideas to Yermak during the meetings, but they themselves are not yet sure what Trump will actually do. Even J.D. Vance, who is close to him," Zabelina added.
What objectives did Yermak's visit to the U.S. pursue?
The visit of the Ukrainian delegation led by the Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak to the U.S. is essentially the first act of a prelude to future negotiations. There is still a long way to go before negotiations to end the war against Russia begin. Therefore, conspiracy theories are not appropriate here, experts note.
The second act can likely be considered the trilateral meeting of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and elected U.S. President Donald Trump in Paris, which lasted 35 minutes. President Zelensky shared details of the meeting with elected President Trump, calling it "good and productive". He also noted that the American leader is determined.
It is worth recalling that the plan of Trump's representative for the war between Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, which Informator reported in a separate article, was developed in collaboration with former National Security Council official Fred Fleitz. It was presented to Trump earlier this year and envisions freezing the current combat lines.
These proposals are likely to meet with rejection from Zelensky. Recall that in his "Victory Plan," Ukraine's NATO membership is one of its main points. Meanwhile, Ukraine once again declares to the world that it seeks security guarantees through NATO membership or other similar alternatives.