FBI Leaders Held Private Meetings With Ukraine Security Chief, Kyiv Confirms

Overview

• The Washington Post reported that FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino met several times in the United States with Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council secretary Rustem Umerov.
• Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna confirmed the meetings and said they concerned only national security matters.
• Western officials expressed concern and said they do not know the purpose of the private meetings.
• Some sources suggested Umerov and other Ukrainian officials sought amnesty for potential corruption cases or that the channel could be used to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a Trump administration peace plan, which remains unsubstantiated.
• An unnamed FBI employee said the discussions centered on law-enforcement and national-security cooperation, with corruption raised but not as the main topic.