Trump’s envoy barred from Russia talks at Putin’s request
President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, was excluded from peace negotiations at Moscow’s request, according to U.S. and Russian officials quoted by NBC News.
The retired lieutenant general did not attend recent discussions in Saudi Arabia—neither the summit with Russian officials nor the one with Ukrainian representatives—even though these negotiations were part of his mandate. The Kremlin reportedly viewed him as too close to Ukraine, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to bar him from attending.
The U.S.-Russia negotiations on February 18, held in Riyadh, were led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with a team that included CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Kellogg was not included in the delegation.
According to sources, Russia refused to accept him at the talks. Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov explained that Kellogg’s stance on freezing the frontlines in Ukraine did not align with Moscow’s interests, which instead seeks the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova refused to officially confirm whether the Kremlin had requested Kellogg’s exclusion, merely stating that the U.S. is responsible for selecting its delegation.
Shortly after taking office for a second term, President Trump appointed retired General Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, tasking him with negotiating an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine within 100 days. While Kellogg was excluded from negotiations, Donald Trump remained in direct contact with Vladimir Putin. On February 11, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, held a three-and-a-half-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow. During the discussion, Witkoff delivered a personal message from Trump and received one in return from the Russian leader.
On February 12, Trump announced on his platform, Truth Social, that he had spoken with Putin by phone and that they had agreed to begin immediate negotiations. The Kremlin confirmed the call, stating that Putin was prepared to receive U.S. officials in Russia to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
On February 13, Trump appointed the team that would conduct negotiations with Russia, though Kellogg was not among them.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
