Ice age in Kiev

US envoy leaves Ukraine through the back door

Selensky in conversation with Kellogg(Bild: EPA)

A planned press conference following President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with the US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has been canceled. Donald Trump recently called his Ukrainian counterpart a "dictator", thereby sabotaging his diplomat's mission. Meanwhile, new announcements are coming from the USA.

Selensky's office announced on Thursday that an official statement had been canceled at the request of the USA. According to the RBC Ukraine agency, however, the meeting between Zelenskyi and Kellogg did take place. It is unclear whether Kellogg will accept the president's invitation to a joint visit to the front line. He is due to leave Kiev on Friday evening.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha had previously received Kellogg in Kiev. He had spoken about ways to achieve a just and lasting peace in the conflict with Russia. "I reaffirmed Ukraine's willingness to achieve peace through strength and set out our vision for the necessary steps," he wrote on the online platform X. He also emphasized that the security of Ukraine and the transatlantic area are "inseparable".

New announcements from the USA
Following the verbal attacks by US President Donald Trump, his National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has called on Ukraine to "moderate". Waltz told Fox News that it was unacceptable for Ukraine to talk badly about the USA. The USA is trying to negotiate a peace treaty with Russia that is acceptable to all sides.

"They need to tone it down," said Waltz. He also expressed his conviction that the differences between the USA and Ukraine could be resolved. At the same time, Waltz rejected accusations that the USA was not consulting its allies and Ukraine in the peace efforts. This is a matter of shuttle diplomacy, "because bringing everyone to the table at the same time has simply not worked in the past."

Kellogg arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday and has already spoken to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army and the heads of the intelligence and special services. US President Trump had recently sharply attacked Zelensky and called him a "dictator". Zelensky accused Trump of being in a Russian "disinformation bubble".