Yermak hints only Putin can make real decisions in talks
Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions, according to Yermak's interview with RBC-Ukraine published on May 12.
Yermak's remarks follow President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement that he is ready to meet Putin for talks in Turkey on May 15.
The Kremlin has sought to position itself as open to talks, while simultaneously rejecting a ceasefire proposal by Kyiv and its Western partners. Moscow has also proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine this week, but did not comment on a potential face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
When asked whether Ukraine would consider negotiating with anyone from Russia other than Putin, Yermak responded: "Do you know who else in Russia makes decisions of this level and is able to ensure their implementation?"
"Of course, he (Putin) will delegate the technical and preparatory stages, but we understand who is ultimately in charge," Zelensky's chief of staff added.
Yermak said Ukraine is open to peace talks, but not under the Kremlin's current conditions.
"Russia will try to escape the sanctions by using the negotiation process as a cover. This format is driven by a clear desire to mislead everyone," he stressed.
The Ukrainian official confirmed that Zelensky's administration continues to insist on a monitored 30-day ceasefire as a precondition for starting negotiations.
"There is a joint position with our partners: first, a ceasefire, then talks. That's also reflected in all recent statements on both sides of the Atlantic," Yermak noted.
Moscow has rejected the May 12 truce and instead suggested resuming talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Yermak dismissed this as a stalling tactic: "We've negotiated with... (Russia) for years, and we know how they can stall for time. Above all, Ukraine wants a just and lasting peace. We won't give Russia a chance to blame us for disrupting the peace process."
The official said that the next step is entirely up to Moscow.
"If Russia agrees, then we move on to the next stage, which is also clear and which our partners are ready for. If not, then please, there should be pressure on Russia through sanctions and other actions, absolutely concrete and clear."
Ukraine accused Russia of ignoring the truce proposal as a Russian drone reportedly attacked a freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12, injuring a driver.
Kyiv has already agreed to a U.S.-backed proposal for a 30-day truce, saying it is prepared to move forward if Moscow reciprocates. So far, the Kremlin has refused, instead proposing talks, which, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Russia wishes to be based on the terms of the 2022 Istanbul discussions and the "current situation on the battlefield."
The Istanbul talks refer to negotiations between Ukraine and Russia held in Turkey in late March 2022, which outlined potential terms for a peace deal.
In the three years since the failed talks, Russian propaganda networks have frequently promoted the idea that peace was almost achieved in Istanbul before Western leaders, in particular then-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, allegedly pressured Zelensky to reject the deal and continue fighting.
In reality, leaked documents from 2022 show that Moscow's first peace offer amounted to Ukraine's effective surrender, including massive troop reductions, abandonment of advanced weapons, and recognition of Russian control over occupied territories.
Read also: Kyiv, European allies pledge harsher sanctions on Russia's banking, energy sectors if Moscow refuses ceasefire
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
37 minutes ago
- The Hill
Hegseth takes fire from Republicans at heated Senate hearing
Republican senators came out firing during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on armed forces. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) immediately pressed Hegseth over the Russia-Ukraine war, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) driving home the point later in the hearing; Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the top Senate appropriator, scolded the Pentagon's delays with budget information; and Sen. Lisa Murkowski closed out the hearing by questioning the administration's focus on Greenland in its Arctic strategy. McConnell, one of three Republicans who opposed Hegseth's confirmation, gaveled in the hearing by calling out the Trump administration for what he views as a flat base-line defense budget. He then launched into strong warnings against the U.S. cozying up to Russia in its bid to end its war in Ukraine. McConnell said Washington's allies are 'wondering whether we're in the middle of brokering what appears to be allowing the Russians to define victory. I think victory is defined by the people who have to live there — the Ukrainians.' The former Senate majority leader who now chairs the subcommittee, McConnell asked Hegseth which side he wanted to win the war. The Defense chief said the Trump administration wanted the killing to end but would not choose a side. 'America's reputation is on the line,' McConnell said. 'Will we defend Democratic allies against authoritarian aggressors?' Later in the hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asked Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine Caine if Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to stop at Ukraine. 'I don't believe he is,' Caine replied. Hegseth, meanwhile, said it 'remains to be seen. Graham fired back, referring to his previous allusion to appeasement of Adolph Hitler: 'Well, he says he's not. This is the '30s all over. It doesn't remain to be seen.' The line of questioning laid bare the ideological divide within the GOP as to how the U.S. should confront Russia, seen by defense hawks as a global threat that must be countered with military assistance to prop up Ukraine and assert U.S. force in the European theater. But many in the Trump administration, including Hegseth, have taken a more ambivalent tone, arguing for an America First approach that could see American troops rotated out of bases in Europe and an end to the flow of military aid from Washington to Kyiv. 'We don't want a headline at the end of this conflict that says Russia wins and America loses,' McConnell told Hegseth. The hearing had a far more adversarial tone compared to Hegseth's appearance before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee a day prior, in which the Pentagon chief emerged largely unscathed, particularly at the hands of GOP members. Democratic and Republican senators grilled Hegseth over a sparsely outlined defense budget for next fiscal year, echoing rare bipartisan criticism during the House hearing. Collins reprimanded the Pentagon for being 'unacceptably slow' in submitting a detailed Pentagon spending request for the fiscal year 2026. Congress is waiting on the information as the GOP struggles to agree on Trump's reconciliation package. She also told Hegseth that Trump's budget request represented a reduction in buying power compared to the 2025 military budget, when inflation is taken into account, but suggested the Senate might correct that. McConnell earlier was also critical of the administration's defense spending plan, pushing back at Hegseth's argument that the U.S. would be making the largest investment in the military in 20 years via Trump's reconciliation package. McConnell said putting funneling defense dollars into that package while declining to increase military spending in the regular budget 'may well end up functioning as a shell game to avoid making the most significant annual investments that we spent years urging the Biden administration to make.' There was also no shortage of criticism from the panel's Democrats. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), bashed the Pentagon for cutting military medical research while spending $45 million for a grand military parade marking the Army's 250th birthday, set for Saturday 'This is not consistent with what the men and women in uniform deserve,' Durbin said. Others, including Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) berated Hegseth for the Trump administration's decision to send National Guard troops and active-duty Marines into Los Angeles this week, calling the actions a wildly out-of-proportion response to sometimes violent protests against Trump's escalating immigration crackdowns. 'Threatening to use our own troops on our own citizens at such scale is unprecedented, it is unconstitutional, and it is downright un-American,' Murray said, noting that the actions were undermining the readiness of the U.S. military. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) pressed Hegseth to reveal the cost or timeline of refurbishing Trump's luxury jet from the Qatari government, meant to become Air Force One. 'You have signed a contract with a company to reconfigure the Qatari aircraft. What is the price of that contract?' Reed asked. Hegseth replied that the information 'cannot be revealed in this setting,' prompting Reed to fire back. 'Why can't it be revealed? This is the appropriation committee of the United States Senate. We appropriate the money that you will spend,' Reed said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Zelensky urges 'stronger' EU sanctions on Russia, lower oil price cap
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 11 called on the European Union to impose tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that stronger financial pressure is necessary to curb Moscow's war effort. Speaking at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Zelensky said the upcoming 18th EU sanctions package "could be stronger," especially in targeting Russian oil tankers and the financial sector. He urged the EU to further reduce the price cap on Russian oil exports. "A ceiling of $45 per barrel of oil is better than $60, that's clear, that's true. But real peace will come with a ceiling of $30," he said. "That's the level that will really change the mindset in Moscow." After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia took effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced the following day that another round of restrictions was already in the works. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 10 that the EU is considering lowering the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel — a measure that will be discussed at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada on June 15–17. The Kremlin's budget is increasingly strained by soaring military expenditures, with Russia's Finance Ministry relying heavily on energy revenues to fund the war against Ukraine. The push for tighter sanctions comes as Russia continues to reject ceasefire proposals and presses forward with military operations. Zelensky warned that Odesa remains one of Russia's "main targets," with plans to push beyond it toward the borders with Romania and Moldova. "Russia wants to destroy it, as it has done with countless cities and villages in the occupied territories," he said. "Russian military plans point to this region — Odesa — and then to the border with Moldova and Romania." Odesa is a major port city in southern Ukraine, located on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. The president warned of possible destabilization efforts in the broader region, comparing the Kremlin's strategy to its previous interference in the Balkans. "We saw this before in the Balkans, where Russia intensified interethnic friction, carried out sabotage, and even attempted coups," Zelensky said. The Odesa summit was attended by several southeastern European leaders, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Romania's newly elected President Nicusor Dan. Vucic's trip marked his first official visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Read also: Ukrainian drones strike targets in Russia, including gunpowder plant, General Staff says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine bracing for 'painful' reduction in US military aid after Hegseth announces cuts
Editor's note: For security reasons, the real names of the soldiers mentioned in this story have not been used. A reduction in U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be "painful" and could have potentially "dire consequences" for the global order, Ukrainian lawmakers and soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on June 10 signalled the move is almost certain to happen as he discussed Washington's defense budget for 2026 during a congressional hearing. Highlighting the Trump administration's "very different view" of the war in Ukraine compared to that of Joe Biden's, Hegseth insisted a "negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests." Though he didn't reveal specific details of the cuts, Ukraine is already bracing for its effects and looking for options to fill the likely sizable gap in support, lawmaker Iryna Friz, a parliamentary committee member on national security, defense, and intelligence, told the Kyiv Independent. Friz said there is a "whole range" of military aid that Ukraine simply cannot obtain from other Western allies, and any reduction in these capabilities will be "painful." "But I am convinced that instead of being emotionally affected by such statements (from Hegseth) or frustrated, Ukraine must demonstrate its readiness to strengthen its defense capabilities and increase communication with its partners to continue to defend its sovereignty," Friz added. With U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House, Washington has sharply shifted its policy toward Ukraine. Even though Ukraine still receives military aid approved by the Biden administration, and intelligence continues to flow, Trump has already temporarily halted both once, and no new aid packages have been announced in the almost five months of Trump's presidency. Ukraine continues to hold the line against Russia's grinding and slow advances, but any reduction in U.S. aid will likely affect Kyiv's ability to fight back against Moscow's forces, as well as undermining ongoing U.S.-led peace efforts. "This reduction of military support might undermine our defensive capabilities, which, in turn, might translate into more casualties both among our soldiers and civilians," lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of the parliament's foreign affairs policy, told the Kyiv Independent. "When (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for a summer offensive, according to some sources, it sends the wrong signal, because Putin might take it as encouragement to double down on the war efforts," Merezhko added. Read also: Ukraine's SBU releases fresh video of Operation Spiderweb, teases 'new surprises' Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the U.S. has given Ukraine around $74 billion in military aid, and has provided weapons that have changed the course of events both on the front line and in cities hundreds of kilometers away from it. Washington has sent Ukraine several million rounds of ammunition, tanks, armored vehicles, long-range ATACMS missiles, HIMARS, and cutting-edge Patriot air defense systems that are Ukraine's only effective defense against Russian ballistic missiles. But under the Trump administration, as well as not receiving new military aid packages, some weapons that were intended for Ukrainian troops have been diverted elsewhere. According to Zelensky, while then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in the office, the U.S. pledged to give Ukraine 20,000 missiles to defend against Shahed-type drones, which Russia launches almost every night against Ukrainian cities. "It was inexpensive, but it is a special technology. We were counting on these 20,000 missiles," Zelensky said in an interview with ABC published on June 8. "This morning, my defense minister told me that the U.S. has moved them to the Middle East." Ukrainian soldiers interviewed by The Kyiv Independent criticized Washington's recent moves but were not surprised. "Trump and his entire team are ridiculous cowards. They want to make a deal with (Vladimir) Putin on his terms and sacrifice part of Ukraine. It is more profitable for them," Bart, a Special Forces sniper fighting in Ukraine's East, said. "Reducing American aid is bad for the front line. We depend on it, on their intelligence," he added. Ihor, a Ukrainian soldier who also serves on the eastern front, echoed Bart's stance, adding the new U.S. policies will have "dire consequences" for the global order. "The U.S. is positioning itself as weak, which will allow dictatorships worldwide to increase pressure (on other countries), and America will not interfere," he said. In light of the U.S,'s shifting stance, Ukraine's European allies have pledged to step up military support but countries on the continent are dogged by a decades-long underinvestment in defense production capability. Ukraine is therefore looking for other options, such as developing its own domestic military production and purchasing American weapons with the help of European partners. In early June, a Ukrainian delegation led by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak visited the U.S. to discuss further support for Ukraine's defense and potential purchases of American weapons. "We are ready to buy some of it, especially missile defense equipment. The congressmen understand (the issue) and want to move forward with providing Ukraine with everything it needs," Yermak said on June 6 on national television. However, following the Ukrainian delegation's visit, there has been no further action or response from Washington on potential arms supplies or weapons sales to Ukraine and its allies. Natalia Yermak contributed to this story. Read also: America's weak strongman We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.