Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, started conversations in Kiev on Monday (14) about security and sanctions against Russia after the US president said he will send Patriot Air Defense missiles to Ukraine.
In a strong departure from his previous position, Trump should also announce a new plan to arm Ukraine with offensive weapons, the US news site Axios said, citing two sources familiar with the subject.
Trump’s measures highlight his growing disenchantment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, due to the lack of progress in the US-led efforts to ensure a ceasefire in the war of more than three years from Russia in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who would meet Kellogg in the Ukrainian capital, and more defensive resources to defend himself against intense Russian missile and drone attacks, which holds about one fifth from Ukraine, is advancing in the east and shows no signs of abandoning his main war goals.
“We’ll send Patriots, which they need desperately because Putin really surprised many people. He speaks beautiful and then bombing everyone at night,” Trump told reporters at the joint base Andrews on the outskirts of Washington on Sunday.
“Basically, we will send you a lot of very sophisticated military equipment. They will pay us 100% for it, and that’s how we want it to be,” Trump said.
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Trump did not say how many patriots he plans to send to Ukraine, but said the United States will be refunded by their cost by the European Union.
Trump will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this week to discuss Ukraine, among other issues, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to visit Washington to talk to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Berlin offered to pay the Patriot systems to Ukraine, according to a proposal made public by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and emerged as an important actor as NATO European states move to increase their military strength under US pressure.
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Putin told Trump by telephone on July 3 that Moscow wants an end to the war, but will not retreat from his original goals, a Kremlin advisor said.
A year ago, Putin had been willing to interrupt the war with a negotiated ceasefire, recognizing the lines on the battlefield, Reuters said at the time. But in last month’s negotiations, Russia has established punitive terms for peace, demanding that Kiev give up on great new portions of territory and accept limits to the size of her army.
WAR OBJECTIVES
Putin states that Russia was forced to get into war in Ukraine to prevent the country from joining NATO and being used by the Western Alliance as a launch platform to attack Russia. Ukraine and its European allies say this is an illusory pretext for what they call an imperial style war.
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Zelenskiy said he had instructed military commanders to present Kellogg information about Russia’s abilities and Ukraine perspectives.
“Defense, strengthening of security, weapons, sanctions, protection of our people, strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the United States – there are many topics to be discussed,” wrote Andriy Yermak, head of presidential administration in Kiev, in the Telegram messaging app.
Hundreds of thousands of people, including civilians on both sides, have been killed or injured in the largest terrestrial conflict in Europe since World War II.
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In the latest reported combat, Ukrainian drones attacked a training center at the Zaporizehzia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine on Sunday night, the administration of the plant installed by Russia said on Monday. Ukraine did not comment on the alleged attack.
