President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, was excluded from high-level peace talks after Russia objected to his participation, NBC News reported on 13 March.
Kellogg has been absent from recent meeting in Saudi Arabia between both Russian and Ukrainian officials, even though these negotiations fall under his official responsibilities.
“Kellogg is a former American general, too close to Ukraine. Not our kind of person, not of the caliber we are looking for,” a senior Russian official with direct knowledge of the Kremlin’s thinking told NBC News.
A US official in the Trump administration confirmed Russia’s objection to Kellogg’s involvement but did not know when this was communicated to the White House.
Kellogg’s office did not respond to requests for comment about his absence from the negotiations.
National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said that Trump had “utilized the talents of multiple senior administration officials” to help bring the Ukraine war to a peaceful resolution. He added that Kellogg remained “a valued part of the team, especially as it relates to talks with our European allies.”
Kellogg, 80, is a Trump loyalist who served in various roles during Trump’s first term. Before his confirmation as Trump’s envoy in January, he criticized what he called the Biden administration’s “incompetent” foreign policies.
In a paper for the America First Policy Institute, Kellogg suggested ending the war by arming Ukraine and strengthening its defenses to ensure “Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement.”
During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to end the war within “24 hours” of taking office. After Trump’s inaugiration fighting has continued in Ukraine, with Russia making slow progress on the battlefield.
On 11 February, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Witkoff later called this a “trust building” assignment from Trump. He was the only US official present at the meeting.
The following day, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had spoken with Putin and they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”
On 13 February, Trump announced a diplomatic team for talks with Russia that included Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and national security adviser Michael Waltz, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Kellogg was not listed.
A second US official told NBC News that this omission “stung” Kellogg.
When asked about Kellogg’s exclusion, Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was up to American leaders to “fix their delegation.”
Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister with close Kremlin ties, told NBC News that Kellogg was “not the person with whom Russia will negotiate with” because his position was to freeze the current front line in Ukraine.
According to Fedorov, Russia wants Ukrainian forces to withdraw from regions where fighting continues, including the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, which Russia illegally annexed in September 2022.
On 11 March, Ukrainian and the US delegations met in Saudi Arabia, where the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire was accepted. The ceasefire would reportedly halt combat operations along the entire frontline, suspend long-range missile and drone strikes, and end operations in the Black Sea.
Steve Whitcoff, President Trump’s special representative, travelled to Moscow on 13 March to discuss these proposals.
Shortly after his arrival, Putin said at a news conference that he agreed “with the proposals to stop the hostilities” but noted there were issues requiring further discussion.
Read also:
- Putin’s aide says Russia does not want a temporary truce
- Trump warns of devastating financial measures if Russia rejects ceasefire
- Trump reportedly removes special envoy for Russia-Ukraine peace talks from negotiations
