U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, was excluded from peace talks between Russia and the United States after the Kremlin said it did not want him present, NBC News reported on March 13, citing U.S. and Russian officials.
Although Kellogg was appointed by Trump to negotiate an end to Russia's war, he has been notably absent from the recent peace talks in Jeddah and Riyadh. According to a Russian official that spoke to NBC News, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin did not want Kellogg included in the peace talks because he is perceived as being too sympathetic to Ukraine.
Kellogg previously co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine, take NATO accession off the table for an extended period, and partially lift sanctions imposed on Russia. His peace proposals also call for continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine as well as strong security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian aggression.
Kellogg previously visited Kyiv in late February for discussions with Ukrainian officials, but has since not been involved in a U.S. delegation in talks with Russia.
Notably, Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has emerged as a key negotiator with Russia. Witkoff, who previously traveled to Russia to negotiate the release of American teacher Marc Fogel, arrived in Moscow on March 13 to discuss the 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine proposed by the U.S.
According to experts who spoke with the Kyiv Independent last month, Kellogg may still have a role to play, particularly regarding U.S.-Europe relations. However, others suspect that Kellogg may have been fully sidelined and will no longer be involved in brokering peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington during the talks in Jeddah on March 11, provided that Russia did as well. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 13 Russia is ready to agree to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine but demands guarantees that Kyiv will not mobilize or train troops, nor receive military aid during it.
Kateryna Denisova
