“Witkoff and Kushner Don’t Understand the War; Their Participation in the Talks Is a Mistake.” — Kellog

Former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has expressed doubts about the involvement of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in peace negotiations for Russia's war against Ukraine. Kellogg believes that both Trump representatives lack a deep enough understanding of the ongoing conflict and the conditions on the ground, making their participation in the negotiations a mistake. He made these comments as Witkoff and Kushner persist in their efforts to devise a framework for renewed peace talks.

Kellogg also mentioned several elements of former President Donald Trump's strategy during the negotiations. While Kellogg acknowledged that Trump holds respect for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he pointed out that this respect is not always readily apparent. Trump has utilized all available diplomatic tools in his pursuit of ending the war and encouraging the parties to engage in negotiations.

Notably, Trump did not apply pressure on Zelenskyy to relinquish control of the Donbas region, despite Russia's President Vladimir Putin's expectations that the United States would push Kyiv to do so.

The status of the Donbas region remains one of the most critical impediments to reaching a potential agreement. Zelenskyy has previously stated that Witkoff and Kushner are pursuing a negotiating framework that could secure a political victory for Trump, but Russia continues to insist on Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donbas. Ukraine considers such a demand to be completely unacceptable.