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Sergiy Kyslytsya
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Sergiy Kyslytsya

First Deputy Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office since January 2026; former UN ambassador.

Sergiy Kyslytsya was part of the Ukrainian TEAM at the Miami round with Washington's envoys, cut to a single day on 9 October, where the American side reportedly linked intelligence sharing to Kyiv's refinery strikes.

Last refreshed: 12 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can Kyslytsya keep Washington at the table while it licenses Russian diesel?

Timeline for Sergiy Kyslytsya

#6 18 Mar

Designated to lead Ukrainian delegation

Russia-Ukraine War 2026: Ukraine delegation heads to Washington
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Background

Sergiy Kyslytsya is First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, appointed by presidential decree No. 14/2026 on 5 January 2026. He serves under Kyrylo Budanov, WHO heads the office, and works on Kyiv's negotiating track with Washington.

A career diplomat, Kyslytsya was Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2019 to 2024, the period that covered Russia's full-scale invasion and the General Assembly votes condemning it, and then first deputy foreign minister, a POST he left on 5 January 2026.

His value to Kyiv is procedural knowledge of how multilateral texts are bargained, at a time when Ceasefire terms, security guarantees and elections are all on the table. In March 2026 Zelenskyy chose him to lead the first delegation to Washington after the Istanbul trilateral collapsed, and he has stayed on the TEAM since.

Key Issues
Washington talks

Kyslytsya carries Kyiv's case to Washington

Kyslytsya has been a fixture of Kyiv's track with the United States since the spring. On 19 March Zelenskyy named him to lead a delegation to Washington for a 21 March meeting, the first diplomatic movement after the US envoys cancelled an Istanbul trilateral on 4 March; Russia had not confirmed it would attend.

By October he was one of several senior figures on the TEAM, alongside Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamiia. The Miami round ended on 9 October after one day, and Axios reported that his TEAM heard American intelligence support tied to Kyiv's attacks on Russian oil plants. A three-party technical round with Moscow, which the Americans want before November, would put Kyslytsya back in the kind of multilateral room he worked at the UN.

Common Questions

Kyslytsya carries Kyiv's case to Washington

Was Kyslytsya at the Miami talks with Witkoff in October 2026?
Yes. He was in Ukraine's delegation with Kyrylo Budanov, Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamiia. The talks ended on 9 October 2026 after one of two planned days.Source: Lowdown
Did Russia attend the Washington Ukraine talks in March 2026?
The planned 21 March 2026 meeting date passed; the cited 19 March report did not establish whether Russia attended.Source: Lowdown

Reference

Who is Sergiy Kyslytsya?
Sergiy Kyslytsya is First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, appointed on 5 January 2026. He was Ukraine's ambassador to the UN from 2019 to 2024.Source: zakon.rada.gov.ua (decree 14/2026)

Recently resolved

Why did Ukraine send Kyslytsya to Washington instead of a politician?
Kyslytsya's background as Ukraine's former UN ambassador made him a credentialled multilateral diplomat, suited to a process requiring procedural rigour rather than political theatre. His appointment signalled Ukraine wanted formal commitments on record.Source: Lowdown
What is Kyslytsya's role in Ukraine peace talks?
Kyslytsya was designated to lead Ukraine's delegation to Washington for a 21 March 2026 meeting, the first diplomatic movement since US envoys Witkoff and Kushner cancelled the Istanbul trilateral on 4 March. Russia had not confirmed it would attend.Source: Lowdown
When did Kyslytsya join Zelenskyy's office?
Presidential decree No. 14/2026 of 5 January 2026 appointed him first deputy head of the presidential office. He left the POST of first deputy foreign minister the same day.Source: zakon.rada.gov.ua (decree 14/2026)
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