Kash Patel’s meeting with Rustem Umerov sparks fears Trump administration is applying additional pressure on Kyiv to accept peace deal
Kash Patel, the FBI director, has previously criticised the scale of US aid to Ukraine Credit: MAANSI SRIVASTAVA/EPA/Shutterstock
Benedict SmithUS Reporter
12 December 2025 11:04pm GMT
Kash Patel held secret meetings with Ukraine’s top peace negotiator.
The FBI director and Dan Bongino, his deputy, met with Rustem Umerov at least twice when he travelled to the US in recent weeks, according to The Washington Post.
They have been tight-lipped about what was discussed, but some Western officials fear Donald Trump’s administration has opened up another channel to pressure Kyiv into accepting a peace deal with Russia.
Mr Patel and Mr Bongino have repeatedly criticised Ukraine.
Olha Stefanishyna, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, confirmed the meeting had taken place but declined to divulge details of the talks beyond “national security-related issues”.
Mr Umerov, who was appointed head of Ukraine’s negotiating team last month, has flown to the US three times to meet Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s peace envoy, to discuss plans to end the war.
Ukrainian officials have previously told The Telegraph that Washington is piling pressure on Kyiv to strike a peace agreement with Moscow by giving up territory in exchange for undefined security guarantees. Mr Trump has told Volodymyr Zelensky he has until Christmas to accept his deal.
In March, Mr Patel criticised the scale of US aid to Ukraine and urged Congress to investigate the misuse of American aid.
Mr Bongino has accused Mr Zelensky of covering up for Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, the former president, whose role on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma has prompted accusations of corruption by Republicans. Both Bidens have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Mr Trump “is very suspicious of Zelensky, because of what he and some of the people in his government did to sweep under the rug the Joe Biden madness,” Mr Bongino said in February.
Fiona Hill, Mr Trump’s former “Russia tsar”, said Mr Patel’s role in the talks was “likely to be viewed with even more concern and consternation in Europe”.
An FBI official said Mr Patel and Mr Bongino discussed law enforcement and national security with Mr Umerov, dismissing concerns as “complete nonsense”.
According to The Washington Post, other Western officials believe Mr Umerov sought out Patel and Bongino in the hopes of obtaining amnesty from corruption charges, amid speculation the Ukrainian could be drawn into a widening investigation.
Last month, Ukrainian investigators announced that $100m had been stolen from the country’s energy sector through corruption.
Mr Zelensky’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, resigned as head of the peace delegation and from the Ukrainian president’s office after his house was raided as part of the probe.
Angela Stent, a former intelligence officer under George W Bush, said she was “surprised” Mr Umerov had been appointed as Mr Yermak’s replacement “given what’s being said about his potential involvement in the scandal”.
A spokesman for Mr Zelensky’s office said: “It is stupid to link everything to ‘corruption’.”
“US officials regularly communicate with world leaders about national security issues of shared interest,” a White House official said.
The US national security team has been “speaking with both the Russians and the Ukrainians to facilitate a deal to end the war” and those raising concerns “are not privy to these diplomatic conversations and have no idea what they are talking about”.
I got the following past the DT mods :
“Patel and Bongino are both lying pro-ruZZia conspiracy theorist scum. Both are a disgrace to the positions they hold.
However, it’s nothing unusual. Trump, aka Krasnov, has an affinity for the child murderers in the Kremlin and has packed his ghastly regime with such people.”
Reply from Bad Looking Rooster :
Now that’s telling it like it is, well done! Now wait for the MAGA fools to give you down-ticks.
Comment from :
Richard Williams
Patel makes Hoover look good.
Steven Kraft
Why is the head of the FBI involving himself in Ukrainian peace talks? There would be some reason if there was some kind of counterintelligence or espionage threat towards the U.S. that might be involved in winding down the war, but this looks like just adding another voice to the various U.S. officials repeating administration talking points to please Donald Trump.
Graham Boyd
The majority of US support for Ukraine has been spent in the US. US support is fully overseen https://www.ukraineoversight.gov/
Patel has been another maga disaster.
Trevor Smallwood
Two things.
I hope Umerov pointed Patel and Bongino towards the security threat to the east and someone brought Patel’s favourite jacket along.
Bravo Bravo
How did Patel find time? He is always busy with his girlfriend.
Smart Scot
The US involvement is only enabling Putin. The world would be a better place if Trump would just realise he is NEVER going to get a grown up peace prize and that he should just keep out of things that are so far above his intellectual capacity.
Vicki Lester
I doubt Zelensky in any better position today to reveal what if anything Ukraine knows about any negative aspects of Biden involvement in their country – something he was unable rather than unwilling to provide when it was demanded some years ago.
The irony when Trump sees no separation between high political office and enriching his whole family connection is rather plain.
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Vicki Lester
That’s why he makes the accusations. He can’t believe anyone would not do what he so obviously is willing to do.
Uncle Bob
Europe could have helped and they didnt. Trump has brought people to the table and our tin pot leaders start sticking their oar in.
Terry Hewitt
Reply to uncle Bob:
Be real. Trump indicated he would deliver ‘Putin’s 28 point peace plan’ and gift him Ukraine on a plate. Any idiot offering that deal would get Putin to the table. Trump started the deal giving everything to Putin and now can’t argue the giveaways back. BTW those giveaways are NOT Trumps to give away!. Trump blatantly sees this as a huge money making opportunity at the expense of Ukrainians who are actually holding the line against Russian expansion by force. Ukraine are being used as Guinea pigs in trialing new battlefield weaponry which the US are using to advantage. Trump thinks a major war in Europe won’t impact the US – but it would big time. Trump wants that Nobel prize too, but they won’t be stupid and award it to a man who punishes Ukraine, rewards Putin and throws NATO into turmoil.
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Uncle Bob
And long may they do so.
Trump is a fool imagining he can feed the crocodile and take it home.
I’m not sure what the FBI has to do with anything involving Ukraine, but one thing is for sure; Patel is a POS, so this can’t be anything positive.
And what do lowlife scotes like Patel and Bongino have to do with the FBI?
They are a sick joke by Krasnov. Same as those other putinoid turds Gabbardova and VanZkov.
Those two have zero in common with the FBI. They never worked for the agency before. They got the jobs for their spinless yes-saying to their orange gangster.