U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, suggested on March 6 that Ukraine was to blame for the U.S. halting military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, saying that the embattled nation "brought it on themselves."
The Trump administration halted U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine this week following a heated exchange between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28. The decision are likely intended to put pressure on Zelensky in peace talks
The halt in military aid leaves over $1 billion in weapons and ammunition undelivered to Kyiv, while the pause in intelligence sharing affects warnings against Russian drones and missiles striking Ukrainian military and civilian targets, Ukrainian and U.S. officials told the New York Times.
"The best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose," Kellogg said during a panel at the Council on Foreign Relations. "You got their attention."
Zelensky issued a statement on March 4 in which he called the Oval Office clash "regrettable" and affirmed commitment to work toward peace under Trump's leadership, after the White House questioned Zelensky's commitment to peace.
“Trump had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said let’s pause,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on March 5.
Kellogg's comments come following his visit Kyiv on Feb. 20 where he lauded the "positive discussions" he held with Zelensky.
"Extensive and positive discussions with (Zelensky), the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war, and his talented national security team," Kellogg wrote on X following the meeting.
Earlier in the day on March 6, Kellogg said that the Istanbul talks can't serve as the basis for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal. The Istanbul agreements refer to negotiations between Ukraine and Russia held in Turkey in late March 2022, which outlined potential terms for a peace deal.
Asami Terajima
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