Kyiv, Ukraine – Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and “listen” as the war against Russia approaches its three-year mark.
Kellogg’s visit follows a day after the United States and Russia held talks in Riyadh aimed at ending the war, notably excluding Ukraine from the discussions. “It will give us a chance to have good substantial talks,” Kellogg said, adding that the talks will build on weekend conversations at the Munich Security Conference. “We understand the need for security guarantees,” Kellogg told journalists, emphasizing that part of his mission was “to sit and listen.”
Ukraine has repeatedly stressed the need for security guarantees from the U.S. to deter Russia from launching a new invasion once a peace deal is reached. Kellogg stated that he would share his findings with Trump and the rest of the team to “ensure that we get this one right.”
President Zelenskiy postponed a planned visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to avoid giving “legitimacy” to the U.S.-Russian talks in Riyadh, according to sources. Trump dismissed Ukraine’s concerns about being left out of the talks, suggesting that Kyiv could have made a deal with Russia earlier.
