Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to meet with President Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia in Kyiv on Thursday, following a public disagreement between the two leaders that has raised concerns about the progress of diplomatic efforts for peace talks.
The discussion with envoy Keith Kellogg, a retired U.S. general and a long-time security adviser to Mr. Trump, was intended to explore avenues for ending the conflict while protecting Ukraine’s interests. However, it’s uncertain if Mr. Kellogg can convince Mr. Trump to rebuild relations with the Ukrainian president.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump referred to Mr. Zelensky as a “dictator,” prompting the Ukrainian president to accuse him of propagating Russian narratives. There are also worries in Kyiv that Mr. Kellogg might have been excluded from the Trump administration’s negotiating team, as he was absent from the U.S. delegation that recently engaged with Russian officials to kick off peace discussions.
Nonetheless, Ukraine is cautious about damaging its relationship with Washington, its primary ally, and Kyiv has indicated that the focus of the meeting will be to prevent the dispute from escalating further. “It is crucial for us that the meeting and our overall cooperation with America be constructive,” Mr. Zelensky stated during his nightly address on Wednesday.
Mr. Kellogg has stated that the United States is engaged in separate conversations regarding a potential peace agreement with both Russia and Ukraine, with him leading the U.S.-Ukraine discussions, while Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Middle East envoy, oversees the U.S.-Russia negotiations. The two envoys plan to reconvene in Washington to share insights and decide on the next actions, Mr. Kellogg noted.
Mr. Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday morning for a three-day visit. Upon his arrival at the city’s railway station, he emphasized that his mission would be to “sit and listen” to Ukraine’s concerns, acknowledging the country’s “need for security guarantees” in any future agreements.
During the day, he met with several high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of the Ukrainian army; Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the director of Ukraine’s military intelligence; and Andriy Yermak, the head of Mr. Zelensky’s office. The timing for his meeting with the Ukrainian president on Thursday was not immediately disclosed.
Beyond exploring potential peace solutions, Mr. Kellogg was anticipated to discuss an agreement that would give the United States access to Ukrainian natural resources as compensation for prior aid and possibly as a trade-off for future support. Mr. Trump has insisted on a requirement for repayment for the resources Washington has committed to Ukraine’s defense.
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, presented a draft of the agreement to Mr. Zelensky last week. However, Mr. Zelensky rejected the proposal — which called for giving the U.S. a 50 percent stake in Ukraine’s natural resources, including minerals, oil, and gas — as it failed to condition resource access on security assurances for Kyiv.
Mr. Trump has requested $500 billion in Ukrainian critical minerals, a demand that Mr. Zelensky dismissed as “not serious” during a press conference on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Mr. Zelensky indicated that Ukraine remained open to negotiating a deal to exchange some resources for security guarantees.
Mr. Trump expressed his frustration over Mr. Zelensky’s refusal to endorse the agreement, stating during a press briefing on Air Force One that Mr. Bessent had experienced “rude treatment.” He insisted he would revive the deal with the Ukrainian leader, warning that “or else things are going to not make him too happy.”
In some respects, Mr. Kellogg could align with Kyiv’s interests. He has taken a more assertive approach towards Russia than Mr. Trump and some of his advisors, suggesting that the U.S. could escalate sanctions to nudge Russia towards a peace settlement and is generally supportive of the Biden administration’s approval for Ukraine to conduct strikes inside Russia using long-range missiles.
Mr. Kellogg’s three-day visit to Ukraine is notably prolonged for an American official. Throughout the nearly three-year duration of the war, U.S. officials have typically restricted their visits to a single day due to security concerns.
Mr. Zelensky conveyed his hope on Wednesday that Mr. Kellogg could interact with civilian populations and military personnel to better understand the realities of the ongoing war, possibly including a visit to the frontline.
“It’s important to feel the atmosphere on the ground,” Mr. Zelensky remarked.
On Mr. Kellogg’s first night in Ukraine, air defense systems successfully intercepted a significant Russian attack on energy infrastructure. The sounds of antiaircraft missiles resonated across central Kyiv as air raid alerts rang out for more than seven hours.
