Latest news with #Kellogg
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Ukraine accuses Russia of stalling peace negotiations
Advertisement Kyiv's goal remains to secure a cease-fire first, before moving on to negotiations for a broader peace deal. Russia has shown little interest in a cease-fire. Instead it repeatedly has said that it wants talks to focus on solving the 'root causes' of the war — Kremlin parlance for wide-ranging demands like a commitment not to expand NATO eastward, an objective that Kyiv and its allies see as a way to subjugate Ukraine. Both sides agreed to share their peace terms during a previous round of talks in Istanbul this month that yielded a large prisoner exchange, but little else. Kyiv said it had submitted its own peace terms to both Russia and the United States before next week's potential talks. But Russia has said it will share its memorandum only during the new round of negotiations, prompting Ukraine to accuse it of slow-walking the peace process. Advertisement Dmitry S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said Friday that the memorandum could not 'be made public' and that the Russian delegation would be ready to meet Monday morning in Turkey. Ukrainian officials have said Russia might try to ambush their delegation by proposing terms that are nonstarters for Kyiv — such as demanding that it withdraws from territories it still controls — and then blame Ukraine for derailing the talks by refusing to engage. The current diplomatic dance has deepened doubts over whether new talks will take place, and if they do, whether they can produce any meaningful progress toward peace. During a visit to Kyiv on Friday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of President Trump, dismissed Moscow's proposal for another meeting in Turkey without a clear agenda as a stalling tactic. 'It's more of the same with the Russians: Schedule a meeting; drag it out,' he said. 'It's clear to almost anyone Putin is not remotely interested in anything that would lead to peace,' he added, referring to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, confirmed this week that the United States had received Ukraine's memorandum but was still waiting on Russia's. Still, he said that Ukrainian authorities should not refuse negotiations even if Russia did not submit its memorandum in advance. 'I always caution, don't say things like that, because if you don't show up, you know part of life is showing up,' Kellogg told ABC News on Friday. 'You need to show you're serious.' Kellogg said Ukraine's memorandum included 22 terms that he described as 'pretty good' and 'reasonable.' Advertisement A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said the memorandum included provisions for a cease-fire on land, at sea, and in the air, with monitoring to be carried out by international partners. Kellogg also told ABC News that Russia's concerns about NATO's potential eastward expansion were 'fair,' adding that 'Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table.' Ukraine and Georgia were promised eventual membership more than a decade ago, and other countries, such as Moldova, have since voiced interest in joining the Western military alliance. Peskov lauded Kellogg's comments, saying they came as a 'result of Russia-US talks held behind closed doors.' Russia is pushing forward again on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, opening a new front further north and ramping up a campaign of bombardment on Ukrainian cities — developments that Ukraine and some Western officials say shows that Moscow is not interested in a cease-fire. Against that backdrop, Trump accused Putin of 'playing with fire' this week and threatened new sanctions against Russia. But after months of alternating praise of the Russian leader with empty threats, it is unclear whether his latest comments will translate into concrete action. Action may come through the US Senate, where a group of Republicans and Democrats have signed on to legislation that would impose sweeping sanctions on Moscow. The bill now has 82 sponsors, more than enough to override a veto in that chamber, Graham said Friday. 'I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill,' Graham said, although he declined to say whether the Senate majority leader had agreed to put the bill on the calendar or when he expected it to come to a vote. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Britain to attend next Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Britain's national security adviser is expected to attend the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine on Monday. Jonathan Powell will join his European and US counterparts at the talks in Istanbul, according to Gen Keith Kellogg, the US envoy for Russia-Ukraine. Gen Kellogg told ABC News: 'We'll have what we call the E3. That is the national security advisers from Germany, France, and Great Britain…When we were in London, they kind of helped us mould a term sheet for Ukraine.' The E3 used to be known as the EU3 until the UK left the European Union. Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct negotiations in more than three years in the Turkish capital earlier this month. On Friday, the Kremlin said it would only discuss the conditions of a ceasefire at the talks in Istanbul after Kyiv demanded to see a peace memorandum prior to negotiations. Ukraine said it wanted to see a document setting out Russia's peace proposal before committing to sending officials to Istanbul. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said: 'In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions.' Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, announced the second round of talks earlier this week after Donald Trump further criticised Vladimir Putin. The US president had called his Russian counterpart 'crazy' and accused him of 'playing with fire' before appearing to give him a two-week deadline to secure a deal. Credit: US Network Pool / Reuters Gen Kellogg said Mr Trump was ready to prevent Ukraine and other eastern European nations from joining Nato in order to satisfy Putin's peace demands, a position he said was shared by other members of the alliance. He said: 'We've said that, to us, Ukraine coming into Nato is not on the table. 'And we're not the only country that says that. You know, I can probably give you four countries in Nato, and it takes 32 of the 32 to allow you to come into Nato.' In response, the Kremlin said it was 'glad that president Putin's messages are heard in Washington'. Moscow also said it was 'considering' a proposal by Turkey to host Mr Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president. But it said it would only do so if peace talks on Monday yielded 'results'. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added: 'President Putin has repeatedly stated that he is fundamentally in favour of high-level contacts. 'But first, results must be achieved through direct negotiations between the two countries.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kyiv confident NATO will not give Russia any non-expansion guarantees
Yehor Cherniev, Head of the Ukrainian Parliament's permanent delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, believes that the Alliance will not make any official decisions on non-expansion, as demanded by Russia. Source: Cherniev in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Friday 30 May, as reported by European Pravda Details: Chiernev said this after Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, said in an interview with ABC News that Washington considers Russia's concerns about NATO expansion to be justified and is ready to discuss them. "It is highly unlikely that Kellogg's statement will have any consequences or influence the peace process," Cherniev said. "After all, as far as can be understood from his remarks, the US is ready to give Russia verbal promises that will not be legally binding." According to Cherniev, the Kremlin has always emphasised that it needs written guarantees in the form of official international legally binding documents. However, he is convinced that no one will give it such guarantees. He noted that the adoption of such a decision would contradict the NATO Charter and the decisions of previous summits. "Secondly, it would mean official recognition of Russia's veto power over Alliance decisions," he added. "Thirdly, such a decision could not be taken by NATO itself due to the position of many countries that unconditionally support us on the path to accession. Therefore, no official NATO decisions on this matter will be taken." He noted that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin may be satisfied with verbal guarantees and promises only if he desperately needs a few years' respite to gather strength for another war. Background: The Kremlin has welcomed Kellogg's statement that the United States is ready to discuss NATO non-expansion, which Russia insists on. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘Looks like Munich 1938': Eastern bloc hits out at US sympathy for Putin's anti-Nato demands
The Trump administration's sympathy for Moscow's anti-Nato demands has been likened to Nazi appeasement as parts of the alliance's eastern bloc warn the US is priming non-members for invasion. Top officials from four Eastern European countries have hit out after Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, appeared to support Vladimir Putin's reported demand to have in writing that Nato will not accept any new members from the region. In an interview with US network ABC News, Mr Kellogg described Putin's latest position as a 'fair' one that was likely to include not just Ukraine but also Georgia and Moldova. His comments prompted the Kremlin on Friday to say they were 'glad' that Putin's opposition to Nato was finally 'being met with understanding' from Washington. A senior Lithuanian official, granted anonymity so they could speak freely, told The Independent that any cooperation between Trump and Putin to block nations who are fearful of Russia from joining Nato would be a dangerous repeat of history. 'It looks like Munich, when great powers decide the fate of small ones,' the official said, referencing the 1938 agreement between Adolf Hitler, the UK, France and Italy that ultimately led to Nazi Germany invading Czechoslovakia. The official added that blocking Moldova and Georgia's Nato membership was a signal to Putin that they would not be defended. It also casts doubt on the alliance's independence, the official said. 'Russia is trying to get what they were looking for in 2022, a buffer zone,' the official added. 'But this zone could soon become part of Russia if the Kremlin sees that nobody is defending them.' Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and six years later began its attempted takeover of Ukraine, initially by illegally annexing Crimea. Moscow has also stationed more than a thousand troops in the Moldovan region of Transnistria, sparking fears that Moldova could be the next target for the Kremlin. Olga Rosca, foreign policy advisor to the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, said Russia is already 'violating our neutrality'. When asked by The Independent if Chisinau was concerned about Kellogg's comments and their ability to join Nato being blocked, Rosca said: 'Moldova is a constitutionally neutral country. This is a position made clear both domestically and internationally. 'The only country violating our neutrality is the Russian Federation, which continues to station troops illegally on our sovereign territory, against our will and in defiance of international law.' Estonian president Alar Karis said the country's position on Nato expansion was clear: 'Every country has the right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine's future is in Nato.' Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister for the Czech Republic, also hit back at Mr Kellogg's comments late last night. 'Nato expansion is in the interest of Russian security,' he wrote on X. 'There is no war where Russia borders Nato countries. There is war elsewhere.' Their commentary comes ahead of the next round of direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which the former has proposed takes place in Istanbul next week. However, Ukraine has accused its invader of failing to present a promised draft peace plan ahead of further talks. Mr Kellogg said that the national security advisors of the UK, Germany and France would all attend the talks, however the Starmer government has not yet confirmed this. Russian foreign minister said this week Moscow's key demands included Ukrainian neutrality. European officials have long cautioned that the Russian suggestion that Nato is expanding aggressively eastward is propaganda aimed at justifying its imperialistic ambitions. Putin's attacks on Georgia and Ukraine in 2008 and 2014 came well before either country had serious chances of joining Nato, and the Russian leader's pre-invasion speech in February 2022 made little mention of Kyiv's Nato membership hopes. In March, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha rejected restrictions on joining international alliances and organisations as part of a potential peace deal. Ukraine applied for Nato membership in September 2022, months after Putin ordered the full-scale invasion. The country has not received a formal invitation, as the 32 members have struggled to reach a consensus. While Nato membership looks unlikely in the short term, Kyiv has been clear that if it is left without any security guarantees against Russia, they are at a serious risk of future Kremlin aggression. Moldova does not currently support Nato membership but has been working closely with the alliance for several decades. Last year, a declaration issued at the Nato summit in Washington called on Russia to withdraw all its forces from Moldova.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of delay over Trump-backed talks
Ukraine and Russia accused each other of foot-dragging toward a second round of direct cease-fire talks backed by the Trump administration that are set to begin Monday. The U.S. urged Russia to continue peace talks and reiterated its willingness to keep Ukraine's ambition to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization off the table, in line with one of Moscow's demands. General Keith Kellogg, America's top envoy for Ukraine, said President Trump was frustrated by Russia's strikes on Ukrainian cities and its delay in producing a document listing its terms. 'He's put forward some reasonable proposals, reasonable discussions, and he's seen a level of unreasonableness that really frustrates him," Kellogg said of Trump in an interview on Thursday with ABC. Russia has proposed another round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2, and the Kremlin on Friday said the Russian delegation was already en route to the Turkish city. Ukraine has insisted that in advance of any meeting, Moscow provide a document listing its conditions. Moscow said it hadn't received confirmation of Kyiv's participation in the Monday talks. Trump has said he would abandon efforts to broker peace in Ukraine if the two sides don't make headway. Earlier this week, he said there must be progress within two weeks for the U.S. to remain engaged. The Trump administration has also recently shown reluctance to continue as mediator, after spurring a process that led to the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022 earlier this month. Despite recent dialogue, Russia's and Ukraine's positions remain far apart, and they haven't agreed over even initial terms under which negotiations would take place. Each has accused the other of stalling. 'Russia is drawing the war out," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Thursday. 'The so-called memorandum, which they promised and allegedly spent over a week preparing—no one has seen it yet." Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately delaying its memorandum and planning for any meetings between the two delegations to fail, while portraying Kyiv as the obstacle to peace. Russia is steadily inching forward on the battlefield. On a call earlier this month, Trump told European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't ready to end the war because he thinks he is winning, The Wall Street Journal reported. Russia said its list of conditions wouldn't be made public. But one demand it has made repeatedly is a binding agreement stipulating that Ukraine never becomes a member of NATO. Kellogg on Thursday said that the U.S. considers this a fair demand. 'We've said that to us, Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table, and we're not the only country that says that," he said. 'That's one of the issues that Russia will bring up." Kellogg said Ukraine had produced its own memorandum with 22 terms that the U.S. considers reasonable and he called on Russia to provide its own list of terms. The first round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine for years took place on May 16 and involved both sides outlining their positions. It resulted in an agreement over a swap involving 1,000 captured soldiers from either side, an exchange which began over the weekend. Kellogg said the next round would focus on trying to merge the two sides' documents and producing a list of terms they might both consider a basis for long-term peace. National security advisers of Germany, France and Britain would join discussions on the memorandum with the U.S., Kellogg said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia also wants to agree over the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, from which Russia has removed many of its warships after Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. The two sides have continued to exchange salvos of drone strikes on each other's cities. Russia on Thursday said debris from downed Ukrainian drones had damaged several residential buildings in and around Moscow. Ukraine said Russia continues to launch record numbers of explosive munitions. Earlier this week, Zaur Gurtsyev, a Russian official and ex-serviceman who helped lead Russia's attack on Ukraine's Mariupol in 2022, was killed in an explosion in Stavropol near the border with Ukraine. Kyiv hasn't commented on Russian suggestions that it was responsible for the blast. Write to Matthew Luxmoore at
