Skip next section Trump narrows responsibilities of special envoy Kellogg to Ukraine
03/16/2025March 16, 2025
Trump narrows responsibilities of special envoy Kellogg to Ukraine
After reported complaints from Russia, US President has narrowed the role of Keith Kellogg, who will now serve solely as his special envoy on Ukraine.
Kellogg has previously been described as a special envoy for and .
“I am pleased to inform you that General Keith Kellogg has been appointed Special Envoy to Ukraine,” Trump wrote on his Truth Socialplatform.
A former national security advisor during Trump’s first term, Kellogg was excluded from recent talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the war.
He was also not involved in the talks with Russia that followed, with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visiting Moscow instead to discuss a possible ceasefire.
US broadcaster NBC, citing a senior Russian official, reported that the Kremlin had put pressure on Trump because President Vladimir Putin considered Kellogg pro-Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report, telling reporters on Friday Moscow has no intention of interfering.
https://p.dw.com/p/4rpSq
Skip next section Rubio and Lavrov discuss ‘next steps’ on Ukraine
03/16/2025March 16, 2025
Rubio and Lavrov discuss ‘next steps’ on Ukraine
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ‘s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke on Saturday about ending the .
The US State Department said the top diplomats “discussed next steps” after the two countries’ and “agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia.”
Despite recent tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv has agreed to a if Moscow halts its attacks, but Russian President Vladimir beyond the US-Ukraine agreement.
The State Department gave no details on when the next round of would begin.
Rubio also updated Lavrov on military activity in the Middle East, where US forces carried out strikes against Houthi rebels Yemen.
https://p.dw.com/p/4rpRx
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage03/16/2025March 16, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Welcome to our coverage, let’s bring you up to speed:
Showing signs of warming ties between the United States and Russia, their top envoys discuss the “next steps” to end the war in Ukraine.
The call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov comes hours after Ukraine’s allies agreed to exert pressure on Moscow.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a which involved leaders of 26 nations and the EU and NATO to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
They focused on ways to strengthen Ukraine, protect any ceasefire, and keep up the pressure on Moscow.
Military leaders from about 30 countries met in Paris on March 11 to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, and they will meet again on Thursday in Britain.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for unified action to ensure Russia accepts the proposed ceasefire.
Kyiv has agreed to a if Moscow stops its attacks in eastern Ukraine.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted the truce and has proposed conditions that go beyond the US agreement.
https://p.dw.com/p/4rpRq
The post Ukraine: US and Russia’s top diplomats discuss ‘next steps’ appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
