Russia wants US envoy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations out of peace talks

Russian officials have told their US counterparts they do not want Keith Kellogg, the US envoy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations, involved in high-level discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters cited a US official and another source familiar with the matter as saying.

Kellogg has been absent from key diplomatic meetings in recent weeks, including a Tuesday gathering in Saudi Arabia between US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and a Ukrainian delegation. He was also not present at a high-level U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia in February.

It was unclear whether Kellogg’s absence was linked to the Russian request or when the request was made. However, a US official said the request had not been honored, noting that Kellogg sent a senior staff member, Eli Rosner, to attend the latest Saudi meeting in his place.

White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said Kellogg remained a key figure in US efforts to end the war.

“President Trump has utilized the talents of multiple senior administration officials to assist in the bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution,” Hewitt said Thursday (March 13).

The Russia-Ukraine war has killed or injured hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and devastated cities, leading to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West in decades.

The US and Ukraine agreed in principle to a 30-day ceasefire during the Saudi talks, but Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Thursday that the proposal needed significant revisions.

The Kremlin’s request to exclude Kellogg comes as some former high-ranking Russian officials have accused Trump’s envoy of being too sympathetic to Kyiv.

A retired lieutenant general, Kellogg has at times been more outspoken in condemning Russian aggression than other US officials. Following a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities on Christmas Day, he wrote on social media:

“Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day…Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong.”

Despite his criticism of Moscow, Kellogg has consistently defended Trump’s policies on Ukraine, including a recent decision to pause some intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.

With inputs from Reuters