Description: US special envoy Keith Kellog arrived on Wednesday 19 Feb in Kyiv amid extending talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymir Zelenskyy. The meeting comes after the US – Russia talks in Riyadh which excluded Ukrainian and EU representatives. US President Donald Trump has illegitimized Zelenskyy in the meantime calling him a dictator which doesn’t enjoy the support of the Ukrainian people. Trump also stated that the war could have been prevented and accused Ukraine of instigating the conflict. The arrival of Kellog is yet to become clear as it could mean the reinforcement of Trump’s isolationism in future negotiations, or it could also mean to provide reassurances to Zelenskyy that Ukraine would be eventually invited at the negotiating table.
Impact: Trump has significantly widened the diplomatic rift with Ukraine in just a couple of days and aligned with pro – Russian led foreign policy in regard to the Ukraine question. Kellog’s arrival in Kyiv could indicate further reinforcement of the already adopted unilateral approach towards ending the war or it could be perceived as laying the initial groundwork in order for Ukraine to become more involved in future discussions. The dissolution of relations with EU countries puts a lot of pressure upon Trump’s foreign policy envoys as the shift in geopolitical approach is still directly unclear.