US Special Representative Kellogg to visit Europe and Ukraine

The United States President’s Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will embark on a diplomatic tour of Germany, Belgium, and Ukraine from February 13 to 22. The visit aims to bolster President Donald Trump’s efforts in securing peace in Ukraine, according to the US State Department.

During his trip, Kellogg is set to participate in the Munich Security Conference, engage with NATO and European Union partners in Brussels, and meet with Ukrainian officials and citizens affected by nearly three years of war. His mission comes as the Trump administration explores strategies to stabilize the region while simultaneously negotiating economic and security agreements.

Meanwhile, on February 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held discussions with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant in Kyiv. The talks focused on Ukraine’s resource potential, economic security, and the framework for an economic partnership with the United States. Zelenskyy emphasized that preventing Moscow from controlling Ukraine required collective efforts from the free world.

Later that day, President Trump held separate phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Trump also indicated to reporters that he may meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia, hinting at potential high-level diplomatic engagements in the near future.

In a joint statement released on February 12, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine—along with the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs—underscored that any negotiations concerning Ukraine must involve both Ukraine and Europe.

Additionally, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked that the goal of returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders was unrealistic, as was the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO. He made these statements at the NATO headquarters in Brussels during a meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine, which was notably chaired for the first time by British Defense Secretary John Healey, rather than a US defense secretary, at the request of the Trump administration.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine stems from Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, following its earlier annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatist regions in Donetsk and Luhansk. Moscow’s demands include the recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian and the assurance that Ukraine will not join NATO. Conversely, Ukraine remains committed to restoring its territorial integrity and securing strong international security guarantees.