The visit of Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg follows a talk of the landmark US and Russia in Riyadh, where Ukraine had no seat at the table.
Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, arrived in Kiev on February 19th for a meeting with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky.
Kellogg’s visit to Kiev was the day after we and Russian officials met in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for landmark consultations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine almost three years ago. I’ll come to.
The Ukrainian representatives did not attend the Riyadh consultations.
Speaking to reporters on February 19, Kellogg said he understands the need for the US to provide Ukraine with security assurances against the possibility of future Russian invasions.
Part of his current mission, he said, was to “sit and listen” Kiev’s concerns.
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In 2022, Russia invaded and effectively annexed large strips of eastern and southeastern Ukraine.
Kellogg shared the outcome of the discussion in Kiev with President Donald Trump and key administration officials, saying that he “makes it right.”
On February 18th, Zelenskyy cancelled a planned visit to Riyadh. There, US and Russian officials, including top diplomats from both countries, were holding talks.
On the same day, Trump appeared to have dismissed Kiev’s concern that Ukrainian officials had not been asked to participate in the debate.
“I heard today, ‘Yeah, we (Ukraine) weren’t invited,'” Trump told reporters at a press conference at his Marlago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. “Well, you were there for three years. You should have finished it (dispute)… You should have never started it. You could have made a deal I can’t.”
When asked if Trump was planning to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of the month, he said “probably.”
Trump, who returned to the White House a month ago after four years of the Biden administration, also criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for his handling of the conflict.
“I think it has the power to end this war,” Trump said.
He also emphasized the need for war-covered Ukraine to hold elections as soon as possible.
“It’s not about Russia,” he said. “It comes from me and it comes from many other countries too.”
Zelensky’s five-year term, which expired last year, comes after cancelling the president-congressional polls originally scheduled for March 2024.
According to Kiev, Ukrainian law prohibits elections from being held while under martial law imposed in the wake of Russian invasion in early 2022.
Over the past year, Moscow has questioned Zelensky’s political legitimacy, saying the issue could affect the final signing of a peace treaty between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters on February 19, Zelensky warned against attempts to remove him from power during the war era.
“We saw this disinformation,” Zelenskyy said in a statement cited by the Kyiv Independent. “We understand that it comes from Russia.”
US Middle East Special Mission Steve Witkov (L), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd L), US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (3rd L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Fahan Al Saud (Center L), Saudi Arabia national security advisor Mosaad Bin Mohammad Al-Aiban (Center R), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R), and Russian Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov (2nd R), I will be attending a conference held at Diliya Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 18th, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/AFP via Getty Images
Kremlin: Trump-Putin Conference is imminent
On the same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump could take place later this month.
“The (meeting) may or may not be held (at the end of February),” Peskov told reporters.
Following a Russian speech in Riyadh, the Kremlin’s top aide, Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s top aide, said the final day of the Trump-Psin meeting is still set, according to the Russian TASS news agency. He said that was not the case.
Citing Ushakov, Tass said it is unlikely that a meeting between the two heads of state will take place next week.
Reuters contributed to this report.
