Kellogg reveals why Trump gave Putin two weeks multiple times
Photo: US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
US President Donald Trump is trying to give opportunities for diplomacy. It would be unfair to accuse him of granting any concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg in an interview with The Telegraph.
When asked whether it was right that Ukrainians are disappointed that Trump has done nothing to follow through on his numerous two-week warnings to the Kremlin, Kellogg noted that "that’s not fair."
"No, that’s not fair. Trump’s trying to give diplomacy every chance...He quickly realised it’s harder than expected – personalities matter. Ukrainians are ready for a deal, but Putin isn’t," he said.
According to Kellogg, Putin is being misled and told that Russia is capable of winning the war. But in reality, this is not the case.
"So, Trump is just giving him latitude and the time to come to the negotiating table, but we still hold the cards," Kellogg explained.
First, a ceasefire is needed
Kellogg believes that a peace agreement can and ultimately will be reached. However, unlike Trump, he considers it essential to first achieve a ceasefire before entering peace negotiations.
"Without a ceasefire, it’s very hard to achieve peace. The problem is, Putin thinks he’s winning, so he won’t agree to peace yet. Trump prefers peace talks first. I prefer stopping the shooting first, as once it stops, it’s hard to restart it," he said.
Trump is frustrated
According to the Special Envoy, the US President is very disappointed with Putin, and this is turning into irritation.
"He’s aggravated. He thought his personal relationship with Putin would deliver results. Instead, Putin strung him along. Behind closed doors, President Trump is much angrier than in public," Kellogg said.
Trump recently said Putin let him down by refusing to agree to a peace deal in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Russian leader continues to avoid meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and participating in peace talks. Zelenskyy himself has repeatedly stated that he is ready to meet with Putin, as only such direct negotiations could bring peace closer.
