KYIV, Ukraine — In a significant diplomatic development, high-level European national security advisors convened in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday to deliberate on emerging peace initiatives. This gathering represents a crucial phase in the escalating U.S.-orchestrated diplomatic campaign aimed at resolving the protracted four-year conflict in Ukraine.
The high-stakes discussions preceded an anticipated summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leadership scheduled for the coming week. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, characterized the agenda as encompassing “security and economic issues, work on framework documents, coordination of further steps with partners” in a social media statement. The meeting included representation from Canada, NATO, and multiple European nations and institutions.
According to Ukrainian negotiator Oleksandr Bevz, the security guarantee proposals under discussion involve a sophisticated multilateral framework. This structure would position Ukrainian armed forces as the primary defense line, supplemented by European-deployed troops within Ukraine, with American forces providing strategic “backstop” support.
President Zelenskyy previously announced comprehensive meetings with officials from approximately thirty nations—collectively termed the Coalition of the Willing—that endorse Kyiv’s objective to conclude hostilities with Russia under conditions favorable to Ukrainian sovereignty.
The security advisors’ meeting on Saturday will be followed by a leaders’ summit in Paris on Tuesday. These diplomatic efforts coincide with Zelenskyy’s Friday appointment of General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, as his new chief of staff. The president described this strategic personnel change as enhancing focus on security priorities, defense development, and diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, regional officials reported escalating violence, with the Kharkiv regional governor confirming the death toll from Friday’s Russian missile attack had risen to two, including a three-year-old child. Separately, an overnight drone assault on the Mykolaiv region targeted critical infrastructure, causing electricity disruptions that engineers worked through the night to restore, though no casualties were reported from this incident.