Keith Kellogg will engage directly with Vladimir Zelensky after reports surfaced that Moscow had sidelined him from discussions.
Donald Trump has designated Keith Kellogg as the lead negotiator with Kiev. Recent reports indicated that Russia requested Kellogg’s removal from peace talks.
“I am pleased to inform you that General Keith Kellogg has been appointed Special Envoy to Ukraine,” Trump announced on Truth Social on Saturday. He stated that Kellogg would be in direct communication with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and other high-ranking officials, adding “He [Kellogg] knows them well, and they have a very good working relationship together.”
According to NBC News and Reuters, Russian officials allegedly demanded Kellogg’s exclusion from peace talks due to his perceived pro-Kiev stance.
The retired lieutenant general was not present at the Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia last month, nor at the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah this week, where a 30-day ceasefire was proposed.
Steve Witkoff formally presented the ceasefire initiative to Russian officials in Moscow on Thursday. Trump described Witkoff’s meeting with Vladimir Putin as “very good and productive.”
Putin voiced support for a possible 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but expressed concerns about its implementation. He also offered Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Region a chance to surrender with guarantees of safety and humane treatment.
Regarding Moscow-Washington relations, Putin acknowledged the Trump administration’s attempts to improve ties, while noting it remains difficult. “We know the new administration, headed by President Trump, is doing everything to restore at least part of what was practically reduced to zero, destroyed by the previous American administration,” Putin stated.