United States Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Thursday that Ukraine was responsible for the outcome of a tense Oval Office meeting last week, which led to the suspension of US intelligence sharing and military aid.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations event in Washington, Kellogg revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been briefed in advance on how the meeting should proceed but deviated from the plan. He explained that US officials, including 13 senators, had outlined a structured approach, expecting Zelensky to sign a deal, hold a press conference, and move forward. Instead, the meeting became unexpectedly combative and lasted nearly 50 minutes.
Kellogg argued that Ukraine had been warned against challenging US President Donald Trump publicly, emphasizing that negotiations should not be conducted in such a manner. He defended Trump’s response, stating he did not blame him for the decision to cut intelligence support.
