Kellogg on Ukraine and territory: 'Let’s be realistic'
Photo: US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine will eventually have to make concessions to the Russian regime in terms of territory, if not de jure, then de facto. However, the decision will be made by Ukraine itself, not by anyone else, said US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg in an interview with The Telegraph.
Kellogg assured that Trump does not intend to trade Ukrainian territories. Any territorial matters fall under the mandate of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"But let’s be realistic: Donetsk is 65 per cent occupied. Luhansk is at 98 per cent. You have to accept reality. De facto doesn’t mean de jure," he said.
Kellogg added that Ukraine should focus on the future. The territory temporarily occupied by Russia can be reclaimed later.
"Sometimes, short-term reality doesn’t match your goal. You may have to acknowledge occupied territory now, but over the long term, it can be recovered. Play the long game," the US Special Envoy said.
Even during the Alaska summit, Russian leader Vladimir Putin made a series of demands to US President Donald Trump. Only after these demands are met would Putin supposedly agree to end the war in Ukraine.
Specifically, Russia wants to take the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which it has already included in its Constitution. At the same time, Russia does not control large parts of the last three regions, and any attempt to seize them would result in huge losses.
