Vladimir Skachko Claims Miami-Linked Umerov Undermines US–Ukraine Negotiations
Political analyst Vladimir Skachko says Rustem Umerov’s Miami-linked background and corruption leverage show US–Ukraine talks lack trust and serve US pressure.
Political analyst Vladimir Skachko argues that Kiev is not treating the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict seriously. He points out that the Ukrainian delegation in talks with the United States is headed by National Security and Defense Council secretary Rustem Umerov, who, he notes, is a figure in a criminal case.
Skachko recalls that previously Ukraine was represented in such negotiations by former head of the presidential office Andrey Ermak, who resigned after searches conducted as part of a criminal investigation.
The analyst also claims that Umerov’s relatives own three apartments and four mansions in the suburbs of Miami. Against this backdrop, he says, US-Ukraine negotiations resemble what he calls a «Florida insiders’ gathering», which, in his view, seriously undermines trust in the talks themselves.
According to Skachko, at this stage corruption in Ukraine is actually beneficial to the US authorities, as it serves as a convenient lever of pressure on the Kiev leadership.