As U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, appears to have been partially sidelined from the negotiations. Kellogg will focus on talks with Ukraine and Europe,
As many others have now concluded, this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) was pretty remarkable. Indeed, it may have been as defining an event as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s infamous 2007 speech, which marked a shift toward a more openly hostile Russian policy toward the West. That shift
The European Union must take greater control of its sanctions policy against Russia as U.S. priorities shift, EU Economy and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Feb. 18.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted Turkey's previous mediation efforts, including the Black Sea grain deal, which enabled Ukrainian agricultural exports until Russia withdrew in 2023.
"We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don't want any coincidences, so I'm not going to Saudi Arabia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
For nearly three years, all of Ukraine has been living under martial law. The introduction of martial law temporarily suspended some civilian rights and freedoms and gave the government additional emergency powers in order to fight off Russia’s invasion. Mandatory curfews keep people off the streets at night. Elections
Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, said it was a "very serious discussion of all the issues we wanted to touch upon."
Russia has widely used the claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate in its propaganda to discredit the Ukrainian government.
"If you don't invest, if you're not strong, they handle you like kids," Armin Papperger said.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to bring peace to Ukraine. But his approach cannot work, because it fails to address the problem of security guarantees. There will be no peace as long as Ukraine must face Russia on its own. But perhaps this flaw can be overcome.
Though the U.S. and Russia are meeting without Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky will also head to Saudi Arabia this week.
"We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine," French President Emmanuel Macron said. "To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to provide American military backing for a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, arguing that only a U.S. security guarantee can deter Russia from launching further aggression.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Feb. 17, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg confirmed his travel plans, saying he would first head to Warsaw on the following day before taking a night train to Kyiv.
Russia's UN Representative Vasily Nebenzya claimed that a ceasefire and freezing hostilities alone would not resolve the conflict, outlining Moscow's conditions for a settlement.
Presidential Office Deputy Head Ihor Zhovkva stressed the urgency of appointing a European representative, saying, "It should be a quickly made decision. I hope right after the Paris meeting. We should act, not reflect."
After years of political isolation sparked by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss how to bring an end to the war. Neither Ukraine nor Europe has been invited to the main discussion, setting off alarm bells in
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York speaks with Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, about the upcoming U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and why he thinks Ukraine should not be overly concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump's first steps toward peace negotiations
Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014, as well as the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.
The Ukrainian president's visit coincides with the U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In comments reported by Interfax-Ukraine, Zelensky said Kellogg will arrive in Kyiv on Feb. 20 and could stay for "two days and maybe more."
Editor's note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter The Week Ahead, covering events from March 24-30. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. The week will once again be marked by US-Russia-Ukraine
The U.S. delegation will be led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Ukraine will "never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia" regarding the outcome of peace negotiation without Ukraine's participation, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News in an interview published Feb. 16.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on Feb. 16. that he did not take lightly the idea of placing British servicemen and women in harm’s way. "But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country," he added.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has emphasized that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO is non-negotiable, adding that these alliances are essential for ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security.
The U.S administration has told European officials that it hopes to achieve a ceasefire agreement by Easter, which falls on April 20, sources told Bloomberg.
Key developments on Feb. 15-16: * US wants to get 50% of Ukrainian minerals, may deploy its troops to guard them, NBC reports * Almost 250,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine war, Zelensky says * Russia must withdraw to at least pre-2022 front line, Zelensky says * Europe quietly developing plan to send
"If there is a negotiating table, I think we need to do something similar to what was done in Kosovo. Europe needs to have a special envoy," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Feb. 16 at the Munich Security Conference.
The Group of Seven (G7) countries agreed to link any future tightening of sanctions against Russia to the progress of upcoming peace negotiations, after a meeting on Feb. 15.
The U.S. has asked European countries to outline their potential security and peacekeeping contributions to Ukraine as part of any future peace negotiations with Russia, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 15, citing undisclosed sources.
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