Andriy Yermak, the top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has extended an invitation to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to visit Ukraine. The offer came during a meeting in New York on Friday — marking Witkoff’s first in-person meeting with senior Ukrainian officials as part of the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts to help end the ongoing war with Russia, now in its 42nd month.
Yermak and Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya met with Witkoff to advance diplomatic efforts and follow up on commitments made during the recent Washington summit. “We aim to ensure real diplomacy and the implementation of all agreements reached,” Yermak said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
A White House official confirmed the meeting took place but did not provide further details.
The meeting came just two days after Russia launched its second-largest overnight assault on Kyiv, using both missiles and drones. The attack killed 23 people, including four children.
“At the start of the meeting, I briefed Steve Witkoff on Russia’s daily war crimes against Ukrainian cities and civilians,” said Yermak. “Russia continues to ignore steps toward ending the war and is clearly prolonging the conflict.”
Yermak, who holds a role comparable to that of President Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, stressed Ukraine’s openness to peace talks and direct negotiations between leaders. However, he emphasized that Russia has been the main obstacle to progress. “We welcome all U.S.-backed peace initiatives, but Russia continues to stall every one of them,” he said.
Kyslytsya described the meeting as “constructive” and noted a shared willingness to find workable solutions based on the agreements made between the U.S. and Ukrainian presidents in Washington on August 18.
Under the Trump administration, Ukraine relations have been managed by special envoy Keith Kellogg, while Witkoff has led negotiations with Russia. Since Trump took office on January 20, Witkoff has visited Moscow five times. Kellogg concluded his third visit to Ukraine earlier this week.
