Kellogg says the U.S. remains committed to peace talks, while Ukraine has agreed to de facto territorial concessions

Reuters

US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has announced that "we had 22 concrete terms that they've been agreed" in London last week where he sat down with Ukrainian and European officials to talk on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

“We came up with 22 very specific actions, after very candid and frank and hard discussions with the Ukrainians, we think we're in a very, very good position,” - said Kellogg  in an interview to FOX news.

He admitted that Ukrainian officials "didn't like them all," but "that's normal when you have any negotiations," and that "I think we're in pretty good shape with them."

"What they want at very first is a very comprehensive ceasefire for at least 30 days, and then we can extend it. Why is 30 days important? Because it stops the killing — that's what President Donald Trump wants to do," - he stated.

The US Envoy added that Washington was ready for partial recognition of the occupied territories, including Crimea, under Russian control, as part of efforts to resolve the conflict.

"The Ukrainians have already said they're willing to give up the land... not de jure, forever, but de facto because the Russians actually occupy it... That's what they're willing to go to, they told me that last week," - he added.

Kellogg criticized Russia's three-day ceasefire earlier this month, calling it "absurd," and reiterated Trump's call for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire agreement.

"If (Putin) really wants to stop the killing, if he wants this war to end, there is a pathway to do it that has been presented to him," Kellogg said.

He argued that Russia was not gaining ground in the war, stating, “Russia has not made any significant advances in the past year and a half.” 

“They haven't taken the city of Kyiv, the capital. They haven't pushed west of the Dnieper River, which is a major obstacle. They haven't taken Odessa. They've lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers. And they haven't really moved anything,” - he added.

He admitted that Ukrainians are "in good position" adding "Ukrainians are fighting on their own soil and they're fighting hard.” 

"People don't understand how violent this war has been. The number of soldiers killed—combining both Russian and Ukrainian forces—exceeds 1.2 million. That’s a staggering figure. On top of that, the number of violations committed throughout the conflict is enormous," - envoy stated.

In March, General Keith Kellogg's role was narrowed from special envoy for Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine, after Russian officials had sought to exclude him from talks aiming to end the war.

"General Kellogg, a Highly Respected Military Expert, will deal directly with President (Volodymyr Zelenskyy), and Ukrainian leadership," President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

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