The US President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has been excluded from high-level talks to end the war after the Kremlin said it did not accept his participation. This was reported by NBC News, citing a US administration official and a Russian source, reports News.bg.
The retired general was "suspiciously absent" from the summits in Saudi Arabia – both with Russian negotiators in February and with Ukrainian representatives this week, even though negotiations are his specialty, NBC notes.
A Russian source cited by the television company claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers Kellogg to be too pro-Ukrainian.
"Kellogg is a former American general who is too close to Ukraine. This is not our man, he is not of the caliber we are looking for," said a Russian official, who requested anonymity.
A Donald Trump administration official confirmed to NBC that Russia does not want Kellogg to participate in the negotiations. The source did not specify when the White House was informed of this refusal. Kellogg's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Kellogg, 80, is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and has held various positions during his first term as president.
In February, Trump's special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. After the meeting, Kellogg called him a "courageous leader of a country at war."