Zelensky Says Ukraine Security Chief Held Talks with Jared Kushner; Kyiv Hopes Kushner, Trump Envoy Will Visit

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 2 that Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, held negotiations with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky did not disclose the substance of the discussions, but he framed the contacts as part of continued diplomatic outreach aimed at halting Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters and quoted by the online outlet ТСН, Zelensky expressed hope that Kushner and Trump’s appointed special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, would visit Kyiv. He argued that a visit would allow them “to see, to understand and to explain to the president (Donald Trump)” the realities on the ground and the urgent need for Moscow to return to talks. Zelensky included a direct appeal in Georgian: „უნდა ჩამოვიდნენ, რათა ნახონ, გაიგონ და აუხსნან პრეზიდენტს (დონალდ ტრამპს - რედ.). შემდეგ კი ძალიან თავაზიანი მანერით, როგორც ეს იცის სტივ უიტკოფმა, უპასუხოს რუსეთს, რა უნდა გააკეთოს მან: სწრაფად მიუჯდეს მოლაპარაკებების მაგიდას, შეთანხმდეს, შეაჩეროს ეს ომი,“ reflecting his call for external interlocutors to press for a rapid resumption of negotiations.

The Ukrainian president emphasized he hopes to secure a meeting with Donald Trump on the margins of the upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara, Turkey. Such a meeting, if it takes place, could influence how the former U.S. president and his inner circle view diplomatic options to press Russia toward a ceasefire or negotiations.

Neither Kyiv nor U.S. representatives released details about the meetings between Umerov and Kushner, and it is unclear whether Kushner’s engagement represents an official U.S. government role or private diplomacy tied to the former president’s network. Steve Whitkoff, identified by Zelensky as Trump’s special envoy, was also mentioned as someone with a diplomatic style that Zelensky said could be persuasive in urging Russia back to the negotiating table.

The statement comes amid months of international efforts that Zelensky acknowledged have so far failed to halt the fighting or produce a sustainable path to peace. Kyiv’s appeal for visits by Kushner and Whitkoff underscores a broader strategy of seeking direct engagement with figures who influence or advise former President Trump and could, according to Ukrainian officials, convey the urgency of Ukraine’s situation to American decision-makers.

Observers say any involvement by high-profile U.S. private advisers or former administration figures in mediation efforts could complicate formal diplomatic channels, depending on the extent to which Washington’s current government endorses or distances itself from such interventions. For Kyiv, however, the immediate priority articulated by Zelensky is to increase international awareness among influential American interlocutors and to press for renewed pressure on Moscow to return to talks.

Zelensky’s remarks were reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian service and the ТСН online publication. Beyond the appeal to Kushner and Whitkoff to visit, the Ukrainian presidency highlighted no additional outcomes or agreed steps from Umerov’s discussions. As NATO leaders and international diplomats gather in Ankara, Kyiv will be watching closely for any signs of renewed diplomatic momentum that could affect the trajectory of the conflict and the humanitarian consequences for civilians in the war-affected regions.