Special envoy arrives in Kyiv as US-Ukraine ties face key turning point

US Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg has arrived in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kellogg is scheduled to stay in Kyiv until February 22, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

His visit includes planned talks with Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and possibly with Head of Military Intelligence Service Kyrylo Budanov.

Kellogg's visit comes amid the breakdown of an agreement on mineral resources between Washington and Kyiv, the recent negotiations between Russia and the US in Riyadh, and criticism directed at Zelenskyy by US President Donald Trump.

Earlier, Kellogg stated that no one would force a peace agreement on Kyiv and that questions regarding whether Washington would offer guarantees for future European peacekeepers would be addressed at a later stage. 

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, he emphasized that no deal would be imposed on an elected leader of a sovereign nation. He also mentioned that while he was in talks with European allies, who have been advocating for inclusion in the negotiations, he believed it was unrealistic to have everyone involved in the discussions. 

European officials have expressed surprise over recent actions by the Trump administration to engage with Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, sparking severe Western sanctions and international isolation. In response, Washington has sent a questionnaire to European capitals, inquiring about their potential contributions to security guarantees for Kyiv, which has accelerated discussions among European allies on how to react to the evolving US policy.

By Naila Huseynova