--- title: "Zelenskyy and Trump's Dispute Did Not Break Ukraine-US Contacts — Journalist" description: "According to an RBC-Ukraine journalist, the sharp statements by Zelenskyy and Trump did not lead to a break in diplomatic contacts: negotiations with Vitkoff and Kushner are ongoing, and the idea of an in-person meeting in Europe is being discussed." date: 2026-10-19T16:05:42.049Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-us-contacts-after-zelenskyy-trump-dispute tags: [ukraine-usa-relations, zelensky, trump, diplomacy, witkoff, kushner] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelenskyy and Trump's Dispute Did Not Break Ukraine-US Contacts — Journalist ![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump talking during an official meeting in Washington.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/19/ukraina-ssha-kontakty-posle-perepalki-zelenskogo-i-trampa/ukraina-ssha-kontakty-posle-perepalki-zelenskogo-i-trampa-1.webp) ## Key Points - The harsh statements by Zelenskyy and Trump did not lead to the disruption of diplomatic contacts between Ukraine and the US, claims RBC-Ukraine journalist Milan Lelich. - The Ukrainian side last week proposed holding an in-person meeting in Europe and discussed the 'drone deal' idea to return the dialogue to a constructive track. - Negotiations took place by phone on Sunday evening Kyiv time due to the illness of American negotiator Steve Vitkoff; contacts with him and Jared Kushner are set to continue this week. - The crisis in relations is linked to Washington's agreement with Moscow on suspending part of the sanctions; Zelenskyy called Trump's decision weak, and Trump stated that Putin is allegedly easier to deal with. Despite the exchange of harsh statements between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US leader Donald Trump last week, diplomatic channels between Kyiv and Washington have not been severed. This was reported in the RBC-Ukraine podcast 'TSE BAZA' by the outlet's political direction head, journalist Milan Lelich, who, citing his own sources, described the course of negotiations and the parties' efforts to restore a constructive dialogue. ### Without Repeating the Oval Office Scenario According to Lelich, the current situation is fundamentally different from the episode on February 28 of last year, when after the scandal in the Oval Office, contacts between the two capitals effectively ceased for a time. 'There is no such rupture of contacts as it was after the scandal in the Oval Office on February 28 of last year, when everything was de facto interrupted for a time,' the journalist emphasized. Thus, even against the backdrop of a public altercation at the highest level, working lines between the Ukrainian and American sides remained open. ### Push for an In-Person Meeting and the 'Drone Deal' Idea During the past week, Ukrainian negotiators, according to the publication's sources, actively proposed that the American side hold another in-person meeting, most likely in Europe. One of the journalist's interlocutors reported that the idea of bringing the American side to a constructive footing was discussed — in particular, discussing the so-called 'drone deal' with Ukraine to return relations to a 'commercial channel'. This indicates Kyiv's attempt to shift the dialogue from public accusations to specific agreements. ### Vitkoff's Illness and Telephone Negotiations At the same time, according to sources, one of the two American negotiators, Steve Vitkoff, fell ill last week. Consequently, as is known, negotiations took place by phone on Sunday evening Kyiv time. This week, contacts with Vitkoff and his partner Jared Kushner, according to Lelich, are expected to continue, although it remains unclear whether a personal meeting at the delegation level will take place. ### Miami: 'Good and Bad Cop' Recalling the meeting of Ukrainian, European, and American negotiators in Miami on October 9, the journalist added that, according to his sources, Kushner and Vitkoff demonstrated a 'good cop, bad cop' tactic there. In particular, one of the interlocutors noted that Kushner tried to 'toxify' the Ukrainian side in front of European partners, criticizing it for failing to implement reforms, while Vitkoff acted in a more constructive vein, but at the same time also pushed for 'closing a deal'. ### Roots of the Crisis: Sanctions and Mutual Statements Recall that an acute crisis in relations between Ukraine and USA, according to sources, arose against the background of Washington concluding an agreement with Moscow (referred to as 'diesel' in the source) providing for the suspension of part of the sanctions against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called such a decision by the American leader weak. In turn, Donald Trump stated that with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to him, it is supposedly easier to 'deal' than with Zelenskyy. Against this background, the preservation of working contacts, which Lelich speaks of, looks like a key factor preventing the public altercation from turning into a full-fledged diplomatic rupture. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Перепалка Зеленского и Трампа не нарушила контакты Украины и США, - журналист](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/perepalka-zelenskogo-ta-trampa-porushila-1792424321.html) - Primary source: RBC-Ukraine podcast 'TSE BAZA', statement by journalist Milan Lelich citing his own sources. All key points (no break in contacts, the idea of an offline meeting and 'drone deal', Vitkoff's illness, telephone negotiations, tactics at the Miami meeting on October 9, roots of the crisis in the sanctions agreement) are taken from this single source; there is no independent confirmation in the provided materials. ## FAQ ### Did diplomatic contacts between Ukraine and the US break off after the dispute between Zelenskyy and Trump? According to RBC-Ukraine journalist Milan Lelich, no: there was no such rupture as after the Oval Office scandal on February 28 of last year; working contacts were preserved. ### How did last week's negotiations go? Due to the illness of American negotiator Steve Vitkoff, negotiations took place by phone on Sunday evening Kyiv time; contacts with Vitkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to continue this week. ### What did the Ukrainian side propose to restore dialogue? Ukrainian negotiators proposed holding an in-person meeting in Europe and discussed the idea of a 'drone deal' with the US to return relations to a constructive, 'commercial' course. ### What, according to sources, is the cause of the crisis in relations? The crisis is linked to Washington's agreement with Moscow on suspending part of the sanctions against Russia; Zelenskyy called Trump's decision weak, and Trump stated that it is supposedly easier to deal with Putin than with Zelenskyy.