U. S. President Donald Trump’s outgoing envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated that a deal to end the Ukraine war is “really close,” with just two main issues left to resolve. However, Russia’s government indicated that there must be significant changes to U. S. proposals. Trump aspires to be seen as a “peacemaker” president, but finding a resolution to this conflict has been challenging for him.
The war began in February 2022 after a lengthy conflict in the Donbas region between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. Kellogg mentioned that the key issues now are the future of Donbas territory and Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control. He believes settling these two matters could lead to a broader agreement.
Recent talks included discussions on territorial claims, with the Kremlin focusing on its ambitions in Donbas, an area mostly recognized as part of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy opposed any handover of Donetsk without a referendum, fearing it could lead to further Russian aggression. The Kremlin’s aide suggested that the U. S. would need to make drastic changes to their proposals regarding Ukraine.
Kellogg highlighted the severe impact of the war, claiming that there have been over 2 million casualties, both dead and injured. Russia controls a significant portion of Ukraine, including Crimea, and a leaked set of U. S. draft peace proposals raised concerns among Ukrainian and European officials, suggesting they leaned towards Russian demands.
With information from Reuters
