Zelensky says talks with US envoy 'restore hope' for strong agreement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has struck a more conciliatory tone following his meeting with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv. Zelensky said he was ready to "reach a solid and truly beneficial agreement" with his US counterpart Donald Trump on security and investment issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received US special envoy Keith Kellogg on Thursday (20.02.2025) after being harshly criticised by Donald Trump, who called him a "dictator" and estimated that Russia now holds "all the cards" in negotiations to end the war.
Trump's remarks were criticised by several countries, including Germany, and have raised fears of a rift between Washington and kyiv, which relies on US aid to resist the Russian invasion that began three years ago. "At the request of the American side, the format of the meeting provides for the recording" of the beginning of the meeting, but "does not provide for statements or questions," Sergei Nikiforov, spokesman for the Ukrainian president, told the media.
Zelensky says he is ready for a deal
The statement represents an attempt to de-escalate the verbal escalation that has further strained relations between Washington and kyiv in the past 48 hours, after Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections."
"Ukraine is ready for a strong and effective investment and security agreement with the US President," Zelensky wrote on social media after the meeting. "We have proposed the quickest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7," the Ukrainian president added.
The Kremlin announced on Thursday that it had decided to resume dialogue with Washington "on all parameters" and declared itself "absolutely in agreement" with the US position on Ukraine. In this hostile context, Zelensky, weakened by this rapprochement between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, nevertheless said he hoped for "constructive" work during a meeting with Kellogg. On his arrival in Kyiv yesterday, he adopted a more conciliatory tone and assured that he understood the need for "security guarantees" for Ukraine.
Kellogg first met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, the Ukrainian foreign minister announced on social media. "I have met with Kellogg to discuss ways to move towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," he wrote on his X Sibiga account. The Ukrainian minister added, echoing the motto with which US President Donald Trump defines his foreign policy, that Ukraine is committed "to achieving peace through strength."