According to NBC News sources, US President Donald Trump removed Kit Kellog from high-level negotiations aimed at resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine. This decision may be related to a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin considered Kellog to be "pro-Ukrainian" and deemed his participation in the negotiation process unacceptable.
Journalists have reported that Kit Kellog did not participate in the recent negotiations held in Saudi Arabia with Russian and Ukrainian delegations. However, this should have been within his mandate. Citing Russian officials, NBC emphasized that Kellog is a former American general very close to Ukraine.
Kellog: The US wants to restore relations with Russia
According to Kit Kellog, Washington should strive to restore communication with Moscow, as the policy of isolation has proven ineffective in the context of the war in Ukraine. On March 6, he spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, emphasizing the necessity of restoring relations with Russia to protect US national interests.
"What you are witnessing now is an urgent effort by the Trump administration aimed at bringing both sides to the negotiating table to achieve a peace agreement," Kellog said.
According to him, the White House is trying to end the war by applying pressure on both sides. Among such pressures on Russia are the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration against the "shadow fleet" of the Russian Federation. Kellog also listed the following as other strategic pressure tools used by Trump against Russia:
- Seizing frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine;
- Exerting maximum pressure on the Russian energy sector.
Kellog's removal from negotiations is considered one of the significant turning points in the Trump administration's strategy for resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump was forced to remove him because the Russian side deemed his participation in the negotiations unacceptable. At the same time, the Trump administration continues to apply pressure on both Russia and Ukraine with the aim of ending the war.
