Zelenskyy meets US envoy Kellogg in Washington ahead of Trump talks

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday met US Special Presidential Envoy for Kyiv Keith Kellogg in Washington, DC, stressing that his upcoming talks with President Donald Trump would center on security guarantees.

“So first of all, I’m thankful to the president for this invitation and the format of what we will have. It’s important signals about security guarantees. And that’s why it’s important that we are together with the United States and Europe,” Zelenskyy said.

He said the participation of major European partners would strengthen the process. “We will have time to speak about architecture of security guarantees. And this is what really, I think, the most important.”

Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Trump later in the day, following the US president’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Senior European leaders are also in Washington, preparing for high-stakes meetings on Ukraine.

Trump said after the talks with Putin that they made “some headway,” though no agreement was reached to end the war.

Zelenskyy also held calls with Trump and European leaders over the weekend.

​​​​​​​Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Russia had agreed to allow the US and Europe to give Ukraine security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal.

Trump said Zelenskyy could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to” and reiterated that Kyiv could not join NATO.