On February 20, US President Donald Trump‘s envoy, Keith Kellogg, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Zelenskyy said he was open to sharing all the info Kellogg might need to understand Ukraine’s situation, but it wasn’t clear if their talks helped resolve the ongoing issues between the two countries. There are still a lot of frustrations on the US side. To make things even trickier, a joint press conference that was supposed to happen was cancelled at the US’s request, leaving us with few details about their discussion.
Kellogg had arrived in Kyiv the day before, saying he was there to listen. In the beginning, both leaders seemed friendly.
During a media briefing on February 19, Zelenskyy pointed out that Russia is spreading false information about how much support there is for the Ukrainian government. He stressed the need to let partners know the results of Ukrainian opinion polls. Zelenskyy also mentioned that he would give Kellogg access to trust ratings and the chance to chat with regular Ukrainians to get their take on the government, possible concessions to Russia, and their trust in the Russian leader.
The Ukrainian President offered to invite General Kellogg to the frontline to meet the soldiers fighting against Russian aggression.
“For me, it is essential that General Kellogg receives this information firsthand – that he understands the situation for himself. Of course, there will be meetings with the military, intelligence briefings, and discussions with the Security Service of Ukraine. Whatever requests their side has made, whatever requests we have received – we are open to this,” Zelenskyy highlighted.
“A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine. Extensive and positive discussions with @ZelenskyyUa, the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team,” Kellogg wrote on X on Friday.
After their meeting, President Zelenskyy posted on X, saying they had a detailed and productive chat about prisoners of war, security guarantees for any peace deal, and the current situation on the battlefield.
“A day of intense international work. My meeting with General Kellogg was one that restores hope, and we need strong agreements with the US—agreements that will truly work. I have instructed my team to work quickly and very sensibly. Economy and security must always go hand in hand, and the details of these agreements matter—the better they are structured, the greater the results,” the Ukrainian President posted.
“With General Kellogg, we discussed the frontline situation, the need to free all our prisoners of war held in Russia, and the necessity of a clear, reliable system of security guarantees—one that ensures this war never returns and that Russia never destroys lives again. We all need peace – Ukraine, Europe, America, and the entire world,” President Zelenskyy added.
