Keith Kellogg takes a different stance from Trump, who contrasted his "very good talks" with Putin with a more strained relationship with Ukraine’s leader.
The U.S. envoy to Ukraine, Gen. Keith Kellogg, has praised Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war," striking a markedly different tone from Donald Trump, who has referred to Ukraine’s president as a "dictator."
Kellogg departed Kyiv on Friday after a three-day visit, during which he engaged in "extensive and positive discussions" with Zelenskyy and his "talented national security team." He described his meetings as "a long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine."
Kellogg’s remarks stand in stark contrast to those of Trump and his allies, who have criticized Zelenskyy throughout the week. Trump has blamed Ukraine for initiating the war with Russia and accused Zelenskyy of performing "a terrible job."
On Friday, Trump reiterated his stance, downplaying Zelenskyy’s role in negotiations. "I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings," Trump told Fox News. "He’s been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals."
Trump further contrasted his relationships with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I’ve had very good talks with [Vladimir] Putin," Trump said. "And I’ve had not such good talks with Ukraine."
Elon Musk, who is leading Trump’s extensive governmental restructuring, backed Trump’s exclusion of Zelenskyy from peace talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Without providing evidence, Musk accused Zelenskyy of overseeing a "massive graft machine feeding off the dead bodies of Ukrainian soldiers."
Kellogg is regarded as one of the most pro-Ukrainian figures within Trump’s senior team. Nonetheless, the stark difference in rhetoric underscores a disjointed and contradictory approach to foreign policy from a White House that has distanced itself from Ukraine and openly aligned with Moscow.
Zelenskyy angered Trump by asserting that the U.S. president operated within a "Kremlin disinformation bubble." Despite their differences, there were signs on Friday that U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators were moving closer to an agreement on Ukraine’s vast mineral resources.
Late last year, Zelenskyy proposed a partnership with the U.S. but was caught off guard when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asked him to sign an agreement granting the White House $500 billion (£395 billion) in natural resources as "payback" for past military aid. Zelenskyy refused to sign without U.S. security guarantees for a postwar settlement with Russia.
Reports on Friday suggested that discussions over U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical resources were ongoing, with draft agreements continually exchanged. "We sent another one yesterday," a Kyiv source told Agence France-Presse, indicating Ukraine was awaiting a U.S. response. White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz stated he expected Ukraine to sign the "rare earth" deal "in a very short time."
Zelenskyy was reportedly warned during his discussions with Kellogg that failure to sign the agreement could result in Ukraine losing access to Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, which is vital for military communications, according to a source briefed on the talks.
Trump’s harsh criticism of Ukraine and his alignment with Russian narratives have unsettled European leaders. Nearly a dozen heads of state have called Zelenskyy in the past 48 hours to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and its democratic values. Among them are British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom are set to visit Washington next week. In a national address, Macron said he would remind Trump: "You can’t be weak with Putin."
Polish President Andrzej Duda, scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on Saturday, urged Zelenskyy to remain composed and cooperative.
Several European leaders are also set to visit Kyiv on Monday to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are among the expected attendees.
Trump’s attacks on Ukraine have rallied support for Zelenskyy among Ukrainians, including those previously disillusioned. A recent poll showed that 63% of Ukrainians approve of Zelenskyy’s leadership—significantly higher than the 4% figure falsely claimed by Trump and Musk this week.
Prominent Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh noted, "After three years of full-scale war, Ukrainians are tired, nervous, and often argue among themselves. But I feel that now everyone will unite again. This always happens when Ukrainians sense an existential threat."
Trump has repeated Kremlin propaganda by accusing Zelenskyy of refusing to hold elections and questioning his legitimacy. However, under martial law, elections are not permitted. With millions displaced, a fifth of Ukraine under Russian occupation, and soldiers engaged in combat, few Ukrainians support holding a vote.
On Friday, over 130 Ukrainian civil society organizations stated that Russia’s aggression makes elections impossible. They emphasized that legitimacy is "the exclusive prerogative of the Ukrainian people."
The groups highlighted a consensus among Ukrainian political parties and the general public that elections could only take place at least six months after a genuine ceasefire. This would allow time to rebuild infrastructure and properly organize the electoral process.
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