Kellogg Hails ‘Positive’ Discussions With ‘Courageous’ Zelensky

Keith Kellogg, Washington’s Ukraine-Russia special envoy, described his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday as “extensive and positive” in his first comments after the meeting. 

Kellogg also described Zelensky as an “embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war” and praised Zelensky’s talented “national security team” in his social media update on Friday – a stark contrast to recent criticisms of Zelensky by US President Donald Trump.  

Kellogg published the update 14 hours after Zelensky’s first update on the meeting – and after news broke that a planned joint press conference following the talks was canceled at Washington’s request. 

Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday and talked with Zelensky and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Thursday, among other government officials. 

During Kellogg’s visit on Wednesday and Thursday, Russia launched a combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine with 14 missiles and 161 drones.

Air defense activity and explosions could be heard in Kyiv as Russia targeted gas production infrastructure across the wartorn nation. Reuters reported that Russia’s strike has already caused a 40% drop in production.

Details of Kellogg’s Kyiv visit

Sybiha said he discussed “ways to a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace” with Kellogg without disclosing what Kellogg said. 

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Zelensky described his talks with Kellogg as a “good conversation” in a social media update on Thursday evening.

“My meeting with General Kellogg was one that restores hope, and we need strong agreements with the U.S.—agreements that will truly work,” Zelensky wrote. 

Zelensky thanked Kellogg for “working together to achieve important results” and said the two “discussed in detail the situation on the battlefield and how to return all our prisoners, as well as effective security guarantees.”

Talks between Kellogg and Zelensky took place amidst a public quarrel between Zelensky and Trump, with the latter calling Zelensky a “dictator without elections” in a social media rant. 

Following the remarks, Trump vowed to ‘resurrect’ negotiations on a deal for mining Ukraine’s minerals that was meant to secure continued American military support. 

Prior to Kellogg’s visit, Zelensky said they would continue work on the document and thanked the US administration for its support.