Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Retired General Keith Kellogg, former national security advisor, speaks during the America First Policy Institute's America First Agenda summit in Washington, D.C., on July 25, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump aims to end Russia's war against Ukraine within 100 days of his inauguration, Keith Kellogg, Trump's choice for special Ukraine peace envoy, told Fox News on Jan. 8.
The comments come a day after Trump said in a press conference that he would not launch peace talks until after his inauguration. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, pledged repeatedly during his campaign to negotiate an end to the war as soon as he was elected.
"This is a war that needs to end, and I think he can do it in the near term," Kellogg said in an interview with Fox News.
Kellogg defined the "near term" as 100 days out from inauguration, and said it was his personal and professional goal to help Trump broker a solution by that point.
"People need to understand, he's not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians, he's actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty," Kellogg said.
"And he's going to make sure that it's equitable and it's fair."
Kellogg praised Trump for his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said U.S. President Joe Biden's refusal to work with Putin was his "biggest mistake." He said Trump would work to find a resolution satisfactory to both Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I think they're going to come to a solvable solution in the near term. ... Let's set it at 100 days," he said.
Kellogg did not discuss details of any potential peace agreements under consideration by the incoming administration.
Kellogg, 80, previously held key roles as executive secretary and chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council under President Trump, and served as a senior advisor to then-Vice President Mike Pence. He was planning a visit to Kyiv, which has reportedly been postponed until after Trump's inauguration.
In a press conference on Jan. 7, Trump blamed Biden for provoking Russia's full-scale invasion, saying U.S. support for Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO triggered the war.
A report by The Wall Street Journal has previously suggested that Trump's team was exploring a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for Western arms supplies and European peacekeepers to monitor a potential ceasefire with Russia.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
