KYIV — US special envoy to the Ukraine war retired Gen. Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv Wednesday morning for a continuation of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just a day after President Trump sent a separate delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet with top Russian leaders.
Kellogg, who previously served as a national security adviser to the vice president and chief of staff of the National Security Council in the first Trump administration, told reporters he intended to make his three-day visit to learn of Kyiv’s views on ending Russia’s war on the nation.
“We’re going to listen. We understand the need for security guarantees … and of course the sovereignty of this nation and the defense of this nation, as well,” he told reporters upon his arrival at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station.
“Part of my mission is to sit and listen and say, ‘OK, what are your concerns?’” he said. “[I will] get the answers and go back to the United States, talk to President Trump, Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio, and the rest of the team to just ensure that we get this one right.“
Arriving in Ukraine’s capital city less than a week before the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, Kellogg said the timing of his trip was poignant as Trump works to seek an end to the fighting that has cost the most conflict deaths in Europe since World War II.
“You know, this war has been going on now for three years, and President Trump is right, it’s a war that never — very candidly, I truly believe — would not have started if he were still president [in 2022,]” he said. “It’s an egregious war in the sense of the length of time and casualties, and [Trump] understands the human suffering, he understands the damage that we can see.”
“We want to see an end to it,” he said. “I think it would be good for the region and good for the world, as well.”
This will be Kellogg’s second meeting with Zelensky in less than a week after seeing him at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend.
Kellogg attended the security conference alongside Vice President JD Vance and Rubio.
On Tuesday, Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov for a 4.5-hour meeting at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
During their meeting, the two sides agreed on four principles: improving diplomatic relations and restoring embassy staffing, setting up high-level negotiating teams for talks on ending the Ukraine war, laying the groundwork for future geopolitical and economic cooperation after the conflict ends, and continuing their discussions, Rubio said.
There was no talk of adjusting US sanctions on Russia, according to the secretary.
Tuesday was the first time the top US and Russian leaders met for extended diplomatic talks since Russia invaded Ukraine.
