U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for the Ukraine conflict met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Thursday, but there was no immediate indication of progress in resolving the unprecedented wartime rift between the two formerly strong allies.
Earlier, Zelenskiy had adopted a conciliatory tone after accusing Trump of repeating Russian disinformation. This came in response to Trump’s controversial claim that Ukraine was responsible for starting the three-year war with Russia. Trump also referred to Zelenskiy as a “dictator” and warned him to act quickly or risk losing Ukraine.
In his first month in office, Trump has pushed for a swift resolution to the war, unsettling Washington’s European allies by excluding both Ukraine and European nations from initial discussions with Russia.
Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday he believed an end to the conflict was near, asserting that negotiations with Russia were essential to stopping the war. Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said upon arriving in Kyiv on Wednesday that he came to listen.
During their meeting on Thursday, Zelenskiy and Kellogg exchanged handshakes and friendly gestures. Zelenskiy smiled and said, “It’s good to see you, how are you? … thank you for coming.” However, no details about the outcome of their discussions were immediately released.
Trump is simultaneously seeking to rebuild ties with Russia and invest in Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, which are essential to the global energy transition. However, Ukraine has rejected an initial U.S. proposal because it lacked concrete security guarantees.
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz urged Ukraine to ease its criticism of the United States and move forward with the minerals deal. “They need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal,” Waltz told Fox News.
SECURITY GUARANTEES
European leaders have responded to Trump’s shifting stance on Ukraine by pledging to increase defense spending. Some are even considering a U.S.-backed European peacekeeping force for Ukraine. While the Kremlin has expressed concern over the proposal, Zelenskiy and NATO have welcomed the idea.
“It is vital that … Russia will never again try to take one more square kilometer of Ukrainian land,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said, emphasizing that robust security guarantees would be essential to achieving this goal.
