President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Rustem Umerov as the new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) under Decree No. 496/2025. Simultaneously, by Decree No. 495/2025, he dismissed Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who had held the position since March 2024, succeeding Oleksii Danilov, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to official presidential documents.
According to Zelensky, he has already discussed Umerov’s upcoming work at the NSDC and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff. Their meeting focused on defining the priorities of Umerov’s role in the security structure.
One of the top tasks set by the president is to continue coordination with Ukraine’s international partners regarding arms agreements. Zelensky emphasized the importance of fully implementing every weapons supply agreement, as well as moving forward with special accords on joint production and the construction of arms factories in allied countries.
Another major responsibility involves reviewing the execution of NSDC and Staff decisions, addressing implementation delays, and reinforcing the technological arm of the Staff’s operations.
Additionally, Zelensky has instructed Umerov to intensify the negotiation track with Russia. The president noted that the implementation of the agreements reached during the second Istanbul meeting is ongoing and must gain greater momentum.
Earlier we wrote that Zelensky may appoint Rustem Umerov as Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S..