Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on Feb. 19. as part of Washington's effort to end Russia's full-scale war.
Upon his arrival, the U.S. official said his mission was mainly to "listen" to Ukraine's concerns and relay his findings to the White House.
"We understand the need for security guarantees. We understand... the importance of the sovereignty of this nation," Kellogg said.
"Part of my mission is to sit and listen and see what your concerns are."
President Volodymyr Zelensky offered that Kellogg's three-day visit could include an inspection of the front lines, a proposal not officially confirmed by the envoy.
Kellogg is visiting Kyiv shortly after the U.S. and Russian delegations held talks on ending the war in Saudi Arabia — without Ukraine's participation. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine would not accept the conclusions of talks carried out behind its back.
Trump's Ukraine envoy previously met with Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials during the Munich Security Conference to discuss the war and the U.S.-proposed memorandum on Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
Recent developments indicate that Kellogg is being sidelined in Trump's peace efforts as he was not involved in the talks in Saudi Arabia. Some experts attribute this to Kellogg's pro-Ukraine stances and Russia's alleged objections to him.
Oleg Sukhov
