U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, spoke in an interview with ABC News about the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
According to him, before Zelensky’s visit to the White House, he tried to prepare the Ukrainian leader for his interaction with the U.S. president, warning him about potential mistakes. Kellogg noted that at the beginning of the meeting everything was going well, but things changed when journalists entered the room.
“Zelensky began playing to the audience, which, in my opinion, was a mistake,” Kellogg said, adding that this gave Zelensky the realization that he was dealing with a different political leader, unlike former President Joe Biden. Kellogg also mentioned that the phone call between Trump and Zelensky was initiated by the Ukrainian leader, and the U.S. president agreed to it “magnanimously.”
Recalling the argument that took place on February 28 in the White House, Kellogg said that during the meeting, a dispute arose regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. After Zelensky’s sharp statements, Trump and Vice President JD Vance expressed their discontent, leading to the early termination of the meeting. The anticipated deal on minerals was not signed, and later Trump wrote that Zelensky was “not ready for peace,” but added that he could return when he changes his mind.
