Kellogg explains why Russia strikes Ukraine during his visits
Photo: Keith Kellogg, former US special envoy for Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russia had previously refrained from striking Ukraine during Keith Kellogg’s visits, but the situation changed this time, and the former US special envoy for Ukraine explained a possible reason in an interview with journalist Ramina Eshakzai.
During the interview, the journalist reminded Kellogg that Ukrainians had once jokingly called him "air defense" because Russia did not launch strikes while he was staying in a particular Ukrainian city. However, the situation changed during his latest visit.
Kellogg suggested that one possible reason could be his current status. After leaving the US government, he became a private citizen.
He said he believed Putin disliked him and that he felt the same way about the Russian leader, adding that the fact that he was now a private citizen rather than a government official could also have played a role.
At the same time, he believed that the Russian president may have been trying to send a certain message. However, Kellogg is convinced that Moscow will not achieve the desired result.
The former US special envoy said Putin was not winning but losing, and that although he was trying to break the will of the Ukrainian people, it would not work.
Kellogg also noted that he does not particularly care what Putin thinks of him. He valued the opportunity to be in Ukraine and help the country whenever he could, he said.
The American also made clear that his attitude toward the Russian leader was negative, saying that on both a personal and professional level, the two men disliked each other.
Kellogg previously said that he did not expect the war to end soon because, in his view, Vladimir Putin did not want to stop it.
According to the former US special envoy, the Russian leader may seek to establish control not only over the Luhansk region but also over the Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions.
