Ukraine’s negotiating team heads home from US, adviser says

Ukraine’s negotiating delegation was returning home from the United States on October 10, presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists.

The Financial Times reported that the group shortened its stay in Miami after Donald Trump announced a Russian diesel supply agreement. Talks had been planned for October 9 and 10, the newspaper said, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

Lytvyn confirmed the return journey but offered a more qualified description of the schedule. According to Interfax-Ukraine, he said the second day was not exactly cancelled, rather the first day had lasted longer and taken on a different character.

Trump announced the fuel agreement following a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on October 9. That announcement provided the backdrop to reports about the Ukrainian delegation’s changed travel plans.

The confirmed return journey and the reported reason for the shortened trip should be distinguished. The explanation linking the change to the diesel deal remains attributed to the Financial Times’ sources.