Key developments on Feb. 20:
- Zelensky-Kellogg meeting ends with no joint statements at US request, spokesperson says
- Starmer to pitch plan on 30,000 European peacekeepers in Ukraine to Trump, Telegraph reports
- US refuses to co-sponsor UN resolution condemning Russia, resists labeling Moscow 'aggressor' in G7 statement, media report
- Russia holds 'the cards' in possible peace talks, Trump says
- Ukraine behind FPV goggles explosions in Russia, source claims
- Russia claims to retake 64% of Kursk Oblast territories seized by Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, in Kyiv on Feb. 20.
"We discussed in detail the situation on the battlefield and how to return all our POWs (prisoners of war), as well as effective security guarantees," the president said on Telegram after the meeting.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine is ready for a strong, beneficial agreement with the U.S. regarding investments and security. "We have proposed the quickest and most constructive way to achieve results," he said.
The meeting in Kyiv was expected to be followed by a press briefing, but Washington requested that no joint statements be made, Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, told reporters.
Kellogg arrived in Ukraine on Feb. 19 as part of Washington's efforts to broker a resolution to Russia's full-scale war. Upon arrival, he said his primary mission was to "listen" to Kyiv's concerns and relay his findings to the White House.
The visit follows U.S.-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, where American and Russian officials discussed the war without Ukrainian participation. Zelensky strongly rejected the idea of peace talks being conducted behind Ukraine's back.
Zelensky's meeting with Kellogg comes amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington, as Trump has made several false remarks about Ukraine in recent days, including calling Zelensky a "dictator" and accusing him of refusing to hold elections.
His claims ignore the fact that Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
During his visit to Ukraine, Kellogg also met with top Ukrainian military and government officials.
Kellogg's role in Trump's peace efforts remains unclear, as he was not involved in the Feb. 18 talks in Saudi Arabia. Some experts suggest he has been sidelined due to his perceived pro-Ukraine stance and alleged Russian objections to his participation.
Trump's recent remarks have raised concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's shifting stance on the war.
Kateryna Denisova
Starmer to pitch plan on 30,000 European peacekeepers in Ukraine to Trump, Telegraph reports
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will present U.S. President Donald Trump with a plan to deploy up to 30,000 European troops to monitor a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, the Telegraph reported on Feb. 19, citing undisclosed Western officials.
Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are going to travel to the U.S. next week to discuss the prospects of peace negotiations with Trump.
European leaders gathered in Paris on Feb. 17 for an emergency summit amid concerns that Washington is advancing peace talks with Moscow without Europe’s involvement. A broader meeting was held on Feb. 19, after which Macron reaffirmed the "united" stance of France and its allies on Ukraine.
Starmer is reportedly planning to reveal details of how European troops would be able to enforce any ceasefire brokered by Trump.
According to the plan, European troops would be deployed in Ukrainian cities, ports, and other critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants "far away from the current front lines," the Telegraph wrote.
The U.S. has ruled out sending its own troops while encouraging European allies to take the lead in securing Ukraine's post-war stability.
A Western official claimed the mission would rely on "technical monitoring," including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as drones and satellites. They also added that sufficient firepower would support the mission to "monitor and shoot those attacks down" to reopen Ukraine's airspace and allow commercial flights.
The purpose of this support is to ensure that "whatever forces are deployed will not be challenged by Russia," a source told the newspaper.
According to the Telegraph, Starmer will urge Trump to keep U.S. fighter jets and missiles in NATO countries in Eastern Europe ready to respond to any future Russian aggression.
Apart from the U.K. and France, other countries remain cautious about sending their troops to Ukraine, citing concerns over the escalation and limited military resources, according to the Washington Post.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv had made significant progress in securing a foreign military presence on its territory.
On Jan. 22, Zelensky said the number of European peacekeepers required to maintain peace in Ukraine would depend on the size of Ukraine's own military.
Philippe Legrain
US refuses to co-sponsor UN resolution condemning Russia, resists labeling Moscow 'aggressor' in G7 statement, media report
The U.S. is refusing to co-sponsor a UN resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, which reaffirms Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemns Moscow's aggression, Reuters reported on Feb. 20, citing sources familiar with the matter.
"In previous years, the United States has consistently co-sponsored such resolutions in support of a just peace in Ukraine," a source told Reuters.
The upcoming UN vote, considered a key indicator of global support for Ukraine, can proceed without U.S. backing but may struggle to gain widespread support in the General Assembly.
The U.S. also opposed directly calling Russia the "aggressor" in a G7 statement marking the anniversary of the invasion, according to the Financial Times. This is the first time the U.S. has pushed back on such language.
The reports follow recent diplomatic efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to engage with Russia, as well as a number of Trump's false accusations against Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Feb. 18, Secretary of State Marco Rubio led a U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Trump has made several controversial statements about Ukraine in recent days, including calling President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and falsely accusing him of refusing to hold elections.
His claims ignore the fact that Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Trump has also suggested that Ukraine should repay the U.S. for its military assistance through a deal involving the country's natural resources, claiming — without evidence — that Kyiv had "essentially agreed" to a deal worth $500 billion.
On Feb. 19, Zelensky said that Ukraine's wartime military expenses had totaled $320 billion, with the U.S. and EU providing a combined $200 billion in defense support.
"We, the people of Ukraine, (covered) $120 billion, the U.S. and the EU — $200 billion. We are talking about arms; this is a weapons package worth $320 billion," Zelensky said in Kyiv.
Trump's recent remarks have raised concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's shifting stance on the war.
Elsa Court
Russia holds 'the cards' in possible peace talks, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russia holds "the cards" in any peace talks with Ukraine as they occupy a significant part of Ukrainian territory, the BBC reported on Feb. 20.
"I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do. I think they have the cards a little bit, because they've taken a lot of territory. They have the cards," Trump told journalists on Air Force One.
A U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met top Russian officials for talks in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, marking the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. Ukraine was not invited to participate.
No concrete decisions were announced following the U.S.-Russia talks, though both Moscow and Washington praised the meeting as constructive. Ukraine's exclusion sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe.
The U.S. and Russia signaled that a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could occur before the end of February.
Speaking after the Riyadh talks, Trump voiced his belief that Russia wishes to end the war and laid the blame for the ongoing hostilities on Ukraine. He subsequently attacked President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator without elections" while pressing the besieged country to hold a vote.
Kremlin propaganda has pushed the narrative that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader, relying on the premise that his first presidential term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024. Trump's claim ignores the fact that Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Ukraine behind FPV goggles explosions in Russia, source claims
A Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) operation was behind the detonations of goggles for first-person-view (FPV) drones used by Russian soldiers, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 20.
The news comes after Russian pro-war Telegram channels reported a series of explosions of FPV goggles while they were being used by Russian drone operators.
According to the source, HUR bought a large batch of FPV goggles for the operation and rigged them with explosives and a detonation mechanism.
"Russian volunteers" subsequently donated the goggles to Russian drone units "in coordination" with the agency, according to the source.
"Today, the horrors of war are literally happening right before the eyes of Russian FPV pilots. This is a well-deserved punishment for the war crimes that the Russian occupiers commit against Ukraine every day," the HUR source said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing warfare.
Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks by Ukrainian troops.
FPV drones are cheap to manufacture and can be precisely flown into targets, allowing their users to destroy much more expensive military equipment.
Kollen Post
Russia claims to retake 64% of Kursk Oblast territories seized by Ukraine
Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in its Kursk Oblast captured by Ukraine, senior Russian General Staff officer Sergei Rudsky claimed in an interview with the Russian Defense Ministry newspaper published on Feb. 20.
Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024. According to Rudsky, Ukrainian soldiers are in control of about 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) out of 1,268 square kilometers (490 square miles) initially seized by Kyiv.
The Russian general claimed that Russian troops were now advancing in Kursk Oblast in all directions, and the Ukrainian army was "retreating from their positions."
The Ukrainian military has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Feb. 18 that Russian forces had crossed into Ukrainian territory from Kursk Oblast, which Ukraine's General Staff dismissed.
Despite months of being on the defensive, Ukrainian forces reportedly advanced 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in the region in a new offensive in early February.
Over six months of fighting in the region, Russian casualties have reached nearly 40,000 personnel, including over 16,000 killed, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Feb. 6. Another 909 have been reportedly taken as prisoners of war.
Ukraine is likely looking to use its foothold in Kursk Oblast as leverage in potential peace talks.
Russia's forces in Kursk Oblast have been bolstered by North Korean troops, deployed last fall to help counter the Ukrainian incursion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the offensive disrupted Russia's ability to carry out large-scale operations in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
Note from the author:
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