Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine says Putin won’t avoid talks with Zelenskyy
Pravda Ukraine
Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, has emphasised that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin will not be able to avoid direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling them essential for resolving the war.
Source: European Pravda, citing Kellogg in an interview with Tagesthemen, a German daily television news magazine
Details: Kellogg noted that the three parties must engage in talks, emphasising that the two main actors, Russia and Ukraine, need to sit down for direct negotiations.
Kellogg rejected allegations that US President Donald Trump wants to negotiate only with Putin.
He further emphasised that the Kremlin’s leader, Putin, should speak with the Ukrainian president.
Kellogg highlighted that Putin could not say he did not want to speak with Zelenskyy, especially after labelling Zelenskyy an illegitimate president and refusing to engage. He also stated that this approach was not practicable because both parties needed to sit down and negotiate, making concessions on both ends.
Russia is promoting a narrative that President Zelenskyy is in office illegally. Although Zelenskyy has been the president of Ukraine since 2019, his term officially expired in May 2024. However, he continues to hold office as it is legally impossible to conduct elections in Ukraine during martial law.
Background:
- On 14 February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with US Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The meeting, initially set for the morning, was postponed.
- The delay was due to the United States needing more time to work on the draft memorandum of partnership that Ukraine has finalised and submitted to the Americans.
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