US Special Envoy for Peace with Russia: "No Forcing Peace Agreement on Ukraine... Everything Is Open for Discussion"

Visit to Ukraine on the 20th
Zelensky: "Let's Visit the Front Lines Together"

Kiss Kellogg, the US President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stated on the 17th (local time) that "there will never be any imposition of a peace agreement on Ukraine."

Kiss Kellogg, Special Envoy of the U.S. President for Ukraine and Russia. Reuters Yonhap News

After visiting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Kellogg told reporters that accepting the results of negotiations is a decision for Ukraine to make, according to AFP and other news agencies.

Kellogg emphasized that "everything is still on the table." This statement contrasts with earlier remarks by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who drew a line on Ukraine's demands for NATO membership or territorial recovery as conditions for ending the war.

During the NATO North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting that day, Kellogg also discussed cooperation measures to ensure lasting peace for Ukraine, NATO highlighted. This appears to be a statement aimed at dispelling concerns that the Trump administration might unilaterally accept only Russia's demands.

In a Q&A session with reporters, Kellogg mentioned Russia's relations with North Korea, Iran, and China, saying that "global issues" could be raised during negotiations. This suggests the possibility that the US may demand as negotiation conditions the complete withdrawal of North Korean troops deployed by Russia and the cessation of North Korea-Russia arms transactions.

Regarding Europe's participation in Ukraine's peace negotiations, Kellogg reiterated that "it is neither reasonable nor feasible for everyone to sit at the negotiating table." Earlier, on the 15th at the Munich Security Conference, he had said that while Europe's interests would be reflected and it would have a role, "he does not want it to become a large group discussion."

Kellogg also mentioned a "dual-track" approach to accelerate Ukraine's peace negotiations. He explained that he would handle consultations between the US, Ukraine, and allied countries to listen to Ukraine and European allies, while Steve Witkoff, the US President's special envoy for the Middle East, would handle US-Russia consultations. A high-level US-Russia meeting is scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia on the 18th.

On the morning of the 18th, Kellogg is scheduled to meet Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Their meeting was originally planned for that day but was postponed by one day because von der Leyen attended an emergency summit of major European countries held in Paris, France.

On the 20th, Kellogg is scheduled to visit Ukraine and meet with President Zelensky. Regarding this, President Zelensky told reporters that Kellogg would stay for at least two days and said, "I want to go to the front lines with him. I think he will not refuse," according to Ukrainian media. Foreign media interpreted this as an intention to show the "reality" of the Russian invasion at the front lines.