Former Ukrainian Speaker Says Only U.S. Can Broker End to War, Urges Continued American Leadership

Former Ukrainian parliament speaker Dmytro Razumkov urged renewed American diplomatic leadership in an essay for Time, saying only the United States can effectively broker a ceasefire and a just peace for Ukraine and that continued U.S. involvement is essential to post-war recovery.

Razumkov said that over the past year Kyiv came closer to tangible diplomatic progress than at any point since the full-scale invasion, citing U.S.-mediated rounds of direct talks, negotiated prisoner exchanges, a temporarily functioning arrangement not to target energy infrastructure and the raising of a ceasefire to the negotiating table. He warned, however, that the diplomatic track has stalled and that a withdrawal of U.S. leadership would allow the violence to continue.

"If America now withdraws from its leadership role in diplomatic efforts to end the war, the bloodshed will only continue," Razumkov wrote. He said Russian forces were intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, energy facilities, enterprises and infrastructure even as political discussions in allied capitals reflected growing "Ukraine fatigue."

Razumkov called for the United States to drive efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table for productive talks on a ceasefire and the terms of a lasting peace. He argued that such a mission, given its complexity and geopolitical stakes, could be carried out only by American diplomacy.

Beyond immediate diplomatic aims, Razumkov turned to reconstruction, saying Kyiv faces a "massive" task to rebuild and revitalize a war-battered economy and infrastructure. He cited preliminary estimates that a full-scale recovery and development program would require more than $500 billion and stressed that securing that sum would demand mobilizing domestic investment and creating conditions to attract foreign capital.

While saying cooperation with the European Union and its member states is vital, Razumkov emphasized a strategic partnership with the United States as indispensable. He outlined a range of cooperative areas, including arms supply and joint weapons production, energy-sector collaboration and development of new energy capacities. He singled out potential U.S.-Ukraine work in nuclear energy, suggesting the possibility of establishing a full nuclear fuel-cycle enterprise in partnership with American firms as global perceptions of nuclear power shift.

Razumkov also described potential roles for U.S. companies in reviving Ukrainian engineering and manufacturing, investing in logistics infrastructure in and around the Black Sea, and helping to rebuild financial institutions and a domestic stock market. Kyiv already has a so-called "Resource Agreement" envisaging an investment fund, he noted, but said that should not be the sole mechanism and that a broader suite of trade and investment accords is needed.

He proposed harmonizing tariffs, removing non-tariff barriers and creating legal guarantees that would facilitate direct investment and joint ventures. Razumkov pointed to the current low baseline in bilateral commerce, estimating annual bilateral trade at less than $5 billion and Ukrainian exports to the United States at under $1 billion, and said expanding market access on mutually beneficial terms should be a priority.

Transparency and legal clarity were recurring themes. Razumkov criticized parliamentary adoption of the "resource agreement" with reservations and exceptions, saying future accords must be enacted "transparently, clearly, and without legal loopholes." He added that the foundation of U.S.-Ukraine relations should rest on mutual trust, honesty, transparency and clearly enshrined guarantees.

The appeals echo repeated calls from Ukrainian leaders and analysts for sustained Western diplomatic and economic engagement as Kyiv navigates both wartime defense and the early planning stages of reconstruction. U.S. officials have played a facilitating role in past rounds of talks and exchanges; Razumkov framed continued U.S. engagement as both a diplomatic necessity for ending hostilities and a strategic investment in Ukraine’s post-war future.

Razumkov concluded by framing cooperation with the United States as not only economically advantageous but vital to Ukraine’s national security and democratic development, saying Ukrainians are prepared for a peaceful future in which they can prosper alongside established friends and partners.