US Envoy Witkoff Briefs Kyiv on Moscow Talks, Breaking Earlier Confidentiality Understanding

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has confirmed that U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff directly informed Kyiv about the outcome of his recent negotiations with Russia – a move that departs from the previously agreed protocol of keeping details of the Moscow discussions confidential.

Speaking to reporters, Minister Sybiha revealed that Witkoff held a phone conversation with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s negotiating team, immediately after the U.S. delegation’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“There was indeed contact between Mr. Witkoff and Minister Umerov,” Sybiha said. “We are genuinely seeing progress in the peace process today – building on the talks in Geneva and continuing in Miami. We are proceeding on the basis of the 20-point framework.”

According to the foreign minister, the American side described their talks in Russia as successful. This disclosure came as a surprise in Kyiv, where officials had expected the U.S. team to withhold specifics in order to preserve confidentiality around the sensitive bilateral channel with Moscow.

Ukraine is now awaiting a formal invitation to Washington for the next round of negotiations.