U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has arrived in Kyiv. He reached the capital on Wednesday, February 19, ahead of his planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This information was provided by Ukrainian media outlets and reported by Moscow Times.
In a video from Suspilne News, Keith Kellogg is seen arriving in Kyiv by train. He met with the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine shortly after his arrival.
Hours before Kellogg’s arrival in Ukraine, the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa experienced a Russian attack that left thousands of people without electricity. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted on social media, stating that about 160,000 people in Odesa were left without power and could not heat their homes during the intense cold. Thirteen schools, a kindergarten, and several hospitals were also without electricity. The regional governor confirmed that four people, including a child, were injured in the Russian attack.
Meanwhile, after three years of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, U.S. and Russian officials held direct talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18, 2025, to discuss ending the conflict. Following the meeting, President Trump blamed Ukraine for the war, stating that the country should have made peace through negotiation earlier. He also commented that Ukraine had had ample time to resolve the conflict.
Trump expressed confidence that Russia wanted to end the war, believing that he had the power to stop it. Regarding the proposal of European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine, Trump stated he had no objections if they decided to do so.
After the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that there was no doubt Russia wanted to end the war, but certain issues would need to be addressed. However, he did not go into detail on those matters, as the discussions were just beginning.
Lavrov indicated that Russian and U.S. delegations would soon start discussions aimed at ending the war. He also reiterated Russia’s stance that Ukraine should not become a NATO member, as that would be seen as a direct threat to Russia.