"Not our type"

Ukraine talks: Russians reject US envoy

Training of Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhia(Bild: AFP/APA/PRESS SERVICE OF THE 65TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE OF UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES)

"Together we will pave the way to peace," announced US President Donald Trump in November when he nominated his Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg. However, the former lieutenant general did not attend the two most important meetings to date with high-ranking representatives of Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. It is now clear why he was absent.

As the US broadcaster NBC News reported on Thursday, the Russian leadership is likely to have rejected Kellogg as a negotiator. "He's too Ukraine-friendly. He's not our type. He's not the caliber we're looking for," the broadcaster quoted a Russian official who wished to remain anonymous.

Keith Kellogg is "too Ukraine-friendly" for Moscow.(Bild: APA/AP)

A US insider, who also did not wish to be named, confirmed the information. However, he was unable to say when Moscow had informed the White House of this. An inquiry to Kellogg's office remained unanswered.

According to NBC News, however, it was emphasized in Washington that, in addition to a large number of high-ranking officials, Kellogg was also still involved in the process towards a "peaceful solution to the Ukraine war". He is "working closely with our European allies in particular".

The Kremlin has no problems with Steve Wikoff.(Bild: APA/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Moscow "cautiously optimistic"
The Kremlin is likely to have far fewer problems with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff. After a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Witkoff on Thursday evening in the Kremlin, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that there was "reason for cautious optimism". Putin had received the special envoy on Friday night and sent him a message for US President Donald Trump.

The Kremlin leader was "fundamentally in solidarity" with Trump on the issue of Ukraine, but there was "still a lot of work to be done", Peskov continued. The previous day, Putin had attached conditions to his agreement to a ceasefire proposed by the USA in the war against Ukraine. At a press conference, he called for a lasting peaceful solution to the conflict - but did not back down from the maximum demands he had already made.

He once again emphasized claims to Ukrainian territory. Putin also called for questions regarding control over the ceasefire to be clarified. For example, it was unclear how the situation along the front line, which stretches "over almost 2000 kilometers", should be monitored. Furthermore, Ukraine should not use a ceasefire to rearm.