(20 Feb 2025)
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine – 20 February 2025
1. Various of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeting and meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg
STORYLINE:
A news conference that was planned to follow talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy was cancelled Thursday as political tensions deepened between the two countries over how to end the almost three-year war with Russia.
The event was originally supposed to include comments to the media by Zelenskyy and retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, but it was changed at the last minute to a simple photo opportunity where the two posed for journalists.
They did not deliver statements or field questions as expected.
The change was requested by the U.S. side, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nikiforov said.
Kellogg’s trip to Kyiv coincided with recent feuding between Trump and Zelenskyy that has bruised their personal relations and cast further doubt on the future of U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort.
Dozens of journalists gathered at Ukraine’s presidential office in Kyiv after being invited to take photos and observe a news conference with Zelenskyy and Kellogg.
As the meeting began, photographers and video journalists were allowed into a room where the two men shook hands before sitting across from each other at a table.
Journalists were then informed that there would be no news conference with remarks by the leaders or questions from reporters.
Nikiforov gave no reason for the sudden change except to say that it was in accordance with U.S. wishes.
The U.S. delegation made no immediate comment.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about why the news conference was called off.
The two men were due to speak about Trump’s efforts to end the war.
Zelenskyy had previously said he looked forward to explaining what was happening in Ukraine and showing it to Kellogg.
Kellogg, one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book laying out an “America First” national security agenda, has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues.
Writing on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said the meeting with Kellogg was a “good conversation, lots of details.”
He said they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian prisoners from Russian custody.
Zelenskyy and Trump have traded rebukes in recent days.
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