Trump’s envoy: 30-day ceasefire must come first, not talks

US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has voiced his disagreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for talks before a ceasefire.

“Even the Prime Minister of New Zealand gets it. As President Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!! An unconditional 30 day ceasefire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Kellogg's message on X.  

Instead, Kellogg advocated for a 30-day ceasefire to be declared first, followed by peace negotiations, as urged by both Kyiv and the European Union.

Kellogg’s comments came in response to Putin's ultimatum on May 15, calling for negotiations to take place in Istanbul. Putin’s offer has been met with skepticism from Ukraine and its allies, who have called for a cessation of hostilities before any peace discussions can begin.

By Naila Huseynova