US President Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has made it clear that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin must first agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and only then negotiate a direct standoff with Kyiv.
Points of attention
- International leaders, like New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Lacson, echo the need for a ceasefire to pave the way for comprehensive peace talks in Ukraine.
- The dynamics between Putin, Trump, and global responses highlight the delicate nature of diplomatic relations amidst the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump did not support Putin's idea
Keith Kellogg was the first from the American leader's team to comment on the ultimatum offer of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for talks in Istanbul on May 15.
He responded to a post by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Lacson that peace in Ukraine should begin with a 30-day ceasefire.
Even the Prime Minister of New Zealand understands this. As President Trump has repeatedly said: stop the killing! First, an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, and during it, a transition to comprehensive peace talks. Not the other way around.
It is worth noting that former adviser to US President Donald Trump, John Bolton, also reacted to Putin's offer.
According to the latter, the Russian dictator risks "overplaying" and worsening his situation.
"Putin has already received a lot of the concessions he wants. He wants to keep under his control the territories that Russia seized in Ukraine. But I think now he risks "overplaying" in his interaction with Trump," Bolton stressed.
