On Friday, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would be represented at the talks with the US by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrii Hnatov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov, as well as representatives of the Foreign Ministry and intelligence agencies.
Zelenskyy will face a new round of pressure from the US next week to reach an agreement to end the war with Russia, as his inner circle is embroiled in a corruption scandal, opposition leaders are calling for a complete government reshuffle, and Moscow continues its offensive, setting the stage for one of the most politically dangerous moments for Kiev, the publication said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian lawmaker Volodymyr Ariev told the newspaper that, instead of making real changes in the government, Zelenskyy "resigned one corruption scandal [figure, former head of Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak] and appointed another [Rustem Umerov] as head of the negotiating team."
The United States has tabled a new peace plan for Ukraine. Media reported that the original 28-point draft was revised down to 19 points after US, Ukrainian and European officials met in Geneva for talks on November 23.
On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that US President Donald Trump's new peace plan could form the basis for a final settlement in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Kiev must make a decision and begin negotiating. Kiev's freedom of decision-making is shrinking as a result of the Russian armed forces' offensive actions, he noted.