 "US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, right, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2025. AP")
Amid the reports of tensions between US President Donald Trump’s administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the American envoy to the war-stricken nation, Gen Keith Kellogg, lauded the Ukrainian leader, calling him an ’embattled and courageous’ president. Kellogg managed to strike a completely different tone from Trump who went on to call Zelenskyy a “ dictator ”.
The remarks from Kellogg came after he left Kyiv on Friday following a three-day visit to the nation. While posting on social media, the American envoy said he had engaged in “extensive and positive discussions” with Zelenskyy and his “talented national security team”. “A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine,” he said. The remarks came days after the US cancelled Zelenskyy and Kellogg’s joint press conference.
Meanwhile, Trump hurled criticisms at Zelenskyy throughout the week, claiming that Ukraine was to blame for starting a war against Russia. He went on to accuse Zelenskyy of doing a “terrible job”. On Friday Trump said that he does not consider it essential for Zelenskyy to be present at negotiations between US and Russia.
“I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings,” Trump told Fox News. “He’s been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals," he added. The POTUS later drew a contrast between his relationship with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’ve had very good talks with [Vladimir] Putin,” Trump said. “And I’ve had not such good talks with Ukraine.”
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More ShortsKellogg maintains a fine balance
It is pertinent to note that Kellogg is known to be the most pro-Ukrainian of Trump’s senior team . His recent comments suggested a contrast between how he and Trump look at the American foreign policy. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy prompted Trump’s ire by observing that the US president lived in a Kremlin “disinformation bubble”.
Earlier, the Ukrainian leader was left surprised when the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, asked him to sign an agreement that would give the White House $500bn (£395bn) in natural resources as “ payback ” for previous military assistance. Zelenskyy declined to sign the document without getting security guarantees from the US.
In the midst of all this, on Friday, the White House national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said he expected the Ukrainian government “ in a very short time ” to sign the “rare earth” deal. If Zelenskyy refuses to sign the deal, Kellogg warned that Ukraine could lose access to Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, which provides crucial connectivity to the Ukrainian military.
With inputs from agencies.