Senior Ukraine Officials, Including Zelensky’s Top Aide Yermak, Arrive in Washington for Talks

A delegation of top Ukrainian officials arrived in Washington on Tuesday, June 3, for talks with US officials on defense and economic issues, one day after the latest round of direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks ended without a breakthrough.

The group includes Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and is led by Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Ukrainian defense officials are also part of the delegation.

According to Yermak, the group will meet with both Republican and Democrat lawmakers, as well as members of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

“We plan to talk about defense support and the situation on the battlefield, strengthening sanctions against Russia,” Yermak said on social media. He added that the talks will also address the return of deported Ukrainian children taken by Russia.

The visit follows earlier reports that an Airbus A319 used by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been tracked flying to the United States. At the time, there had been no confirmation of scheduled meetings between Ukrainian officials and the Trump administration. That has now changed with Kyiv confirming official talks in Washington.

The trip comes following the second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, which concluded on Monday, June 2.

Ukrainian officials announced that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to exchange all prisoners of war who are either badly wounded or under the age of 25. Additionally, both sides agreed to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers each, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Other Topics of Interest

Sweden May Hand Seized Russian Shadow Fleet Ship to Ukraine

A Swedish court has upheld the seizure of the cargo ship Caffa, suspected of sailing under a false flag and carrying grain removed from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. The vessel may be handed over to Ukraine once the ruling becomes final.

However, Russia rejected Ukraine’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. Instead, Moscow offered a limited truce lasting two to three days, Ukrainian officials said.

“The delegations exchanged documents through the Turkish side, and we are preparing a new release of prisoners of war,” Zelensky said during a press conference in Vilnius following the talks.

During Monday’s discussions, Ukraine also handed over a list of hundreds of children it says were forcibly taken by Russia during the war. The issue remains a central point of contention in negotiations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed hope that a broader summit later this month could bring together the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

Trump, who returned to the White House in January pledging to quickly end the war, has grown increasingly frustrated with both Putin and Zelensky over the lack of progress, according to U.S. officials.