Kuleba spoke about the lost contact with Kushner due to Yermak's position.

According to ТСН: In 2024, then head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak declined the offer to establish contact with Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was one of the negotiators regarding the U.S. peace plan at that time.

Lost Opportunities

This information was voiced by former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during an interview. He emphasized that Kushner has a 'very normal' attitude towards Ukraine, and it would have been advisable for him to go along with Steven Witkoff to negotiations in Moscow. However, according to the diplomat, the Ukrainian side missed the chance to establish contact with Kushner.

Kuleba spoke about a meeting with Kushner that took place in the spring of 2024 at one of the international events. During the meeting, they exchanged contacts, and Kuleba returned to Kyiv with a proposal.

'At the negotiating table in Florida sat Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. In the spring of 2024, I was introduced to Kushner by a person who was close to both him and me. And he literally brought us together at a closed event. We (Kushner and I — Ed.) exchanged contacts. This was before Trump became president,' said the former Foreign Minister.

Yermak's Reaction

After returning to Kyiv, Kuleba shared his impressions from the meeting with Kushner; however, Andriy Yermak expressed the opinion that Kushner 'is not in the game' and 'there is no need to bet on him'. Kuleba noted:

'In response, I listened to a monologue that I know nothing about the 'layouts' in America — from the former head of the President's Office — that I do not know such obvious facts that Kushner 'is not in the game', that there is no need to bet on Kushner. We need to bet on Mike Pompeo (U.S. Secretary of State during Trump’s first term — Ed.), and he (Yermak — Ed.) has already made that bet. And he will build communication with the Trumpists through Pompeo... I did not receive a mandate to continue conversations with Kushner. And here — a year and a half passes, and Kushner becomes a key negotiator,' says Kuleba.

Kuleba's Conclusions

Dmytro Kuleba believes that if contact with Kushner could have been established back then, Ukraine would have gained a partner who would hold a more pro-Ukrainian position.

'We missed this opportunity due to internal intrigues within the country that destroy us,' concluded Dmytro Kuleba.

Negotiations in Florida

It is recalled that the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in Florida was headed by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov. The American side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy of President Donald Trump Steve Witkoff, and Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

According to information, the delegations discussed the conduct of elections in Ukraine during the negotiations in Miami.

It was previously reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Andriy Yermak from the position of head of the President's Office.

Thus, the situation created by the refusal to establish contact with Kushner turned out to be an important moment that could significantly impact Ukrainian diplomacy. The lack of cooperation with key active players like Kushner creates challenges for Ukraine in terms of international relations and diplomatic efforts.