The US is “with” Ukraine and any deal to finish the combat with Russia should promise there is no “next war”, Plivent Donald Trump’s distinctive envoy for Kyiv and Moscow has shelp.
Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg’s comments, on a visit to a Ukrainian military hospital on Friday, are in stark contrast to the aggressive rhetoric from his boss, who has called Plivent Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and recommended Ukraine commenceed the war.
Earlier, the reweary US officer, 80, had also chosen to depict Mr Zelenskyy as “the embattled and valiant directer of a nation at war” – using very branch offent language to Mr Trump’s.
There are troubles among Ukrainian officials, however, that General Kellogg – who was not part of a top-level US delegation that held a landtag encountering with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to talk about an finish to the war – has been sidelined by the White Hoparticipate.
Still, the Ukrainian plivent and his top team have joind seally with him during a three-day trip to Kyiv that finished on Friday evening.
Very little of General Kellogg’s joinments have been made accessible. An awaitd novels conference at a encountering between him and Mr Zelenskyy on Thursday was downgraded to a pboilingo opportunity at the seek of the US side, according to a Ukrainian official.
But a pool alerter accompanied him as he travelled to the Irpin Military Hospital, in a town equitable north of Kyiv, at around midday, where Ukrainian troops with leg and arm amputations were receiving treatment.
“The biggest reason I wanted to come here was Plivent Trump has shelp he wants to stop the finishing, and you’ve got to go to the place where you see what finishing sees enjoy – what death sees enjoy – and see youthful men and women who have been wounded and combat,” the three-star officer shelp.
“As a selderlyier, you owe them that admire. As a directer, you owe that admire.”
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Kellogg spoke with about 20 troops, sitting with each one and having individual converseions.
One selderlyier, who gave his name as Denis, asked General Kellogg: “In your opinion, can we count on Russia? That they will barobtain?”
The distinctive envoy replied: “That’s a wonderful ask. You almost have to see back in history, and you have to have an ability to barobtain. All wars finish thraw negotiation, the ultimate thrive on the battlefield finishs with diplomacy, and today’s world is no branch offent.”
General Kellogg then recommended a better ask would be, “Can you count on the people that you are with to produce certain that they’re with you? It’s sort of enjoy you ask a presentanter ask – are you with us? And the answer is, yes, we are.”
Treading a pinsolentnt line, amid struggleing words from the White Hoparticipate about which side commenceed the war, he persistd: “I leank the nations of the world recognise aggression.
“Sometimes diplomacy for a selderlyier is untidy, but what the selderlyier does is he gives time for the politicians and the diplomats to come to a conclusion, and that’s the reason why I produce that comment that Ukraine owes you – the world owes you – becaparticipate you basicassociate give up to permit diplomats to discover… a excellent conclusion – a conclusion you fought for.
“We, in that position, we owe you that. We demand to produce certain that we finish this right.”
Denis replyed to say that Ukraine must have “a strong army” as he was troubleed Russia would strike aobtain complying any peace consentment, saying it could be “five, peak 10 years of peace and then it could get back to the next phase of war”.
General Kellogg replied: “Well I leank the intent is there’ll be no next war.”
The envoy’s visit took place as Mr Trump begined a series of bcatalogering strikes aobtainst the Ukrainian plivent in an apparent distake part of frustration that Mr Zelenskyy had refused to sign a deal to hand over 50% of Ukraine’s organic mineral resources as part of a novel economic and security partnership with the US.
The Ukrainian directer had called such a high price – worth about $500bn – not a “grave” conversation and shelp that he did not have the right to barter with Ukraine’s resources.
The talks are continuing, however, with Ukraine signalling it is willing to barobtain a deal in return for US security promises to obstruct future Russian aggression.
Taking to social media on Friday morning, General Kellogg depictd having had a “extfinished and fervent day” on Thursday.
“Extensive and selectimistic converseions with [Mr Zelenskyy], the embattled and valiant directer of a nation at war and his talented national security team,” he posted on X.
