The US President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg proposed to the British newspaper The Times the creation of allied zones of responsibility in Ukraine, as in Berlin after World War II, "when there was a Russian zone, a French zone, a British zone and an American zone".
Kellogg indicated to the newspaper that British and French troops could be deployed in western Ukraine as a "deterrent" to prevent renewed fighting, while the Russian army would control eastern Ukraine. According to the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian forces could be deployed between European and Russian troops. Kellogg also said that a 30-kilometer demilitarized zone could be created along the current front line.
Kellogg believes that the deployment of a British-French military contingent on the western bank of the Dnieper River would not be a provocative step towards Russia. He added that Ukraine is a large enough country to be able to deploy several armies on its territory to guarantee a ceasefire.
The publication emphasizes that this is the first time a high-ranking American official has mentioned the Dnieper as a possible demarcation line after a ceasefire has been reached. As the newspaper notes, Kellogg's plan implies that Ukraine will have to give up territories controlled by Russia.
"I do not mean the division of Ukraine, nor the creation of an American zone of responsibility“, he specified in X.
"I was talking about forces to ensure stability after the ceasefire in support of Ukraine's sovereignty".
On March 12, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the presence of NATO troops under any flag and in any capacity on Ukrainian territory is a threat to Russia. According to him, the Russian Federation will not accept this under any circumstances.
"No one knows the exact size of Ukraine's mineral reserves, nor their types and value. They are not reliably established, because the last geological work was done during the Soviet era," Kellogg told The Times.
He confirmed that a Ukrainian delegation had arrived in Washington on Friday to discuss the minerals deal. The parties want to turn the "business deal" into a "diplomatic deal," the special envoy said.
Kellogg supported the idea of holding elections in Ukraine under certain conditions. "I think if there is a ceasefire, there will be elections. Because it has been almost a year since they were supposed to be held. They have not been held. "But I think Zelensky is open to it, as soon as we have a ceasefire and some kind of agreement," the special envoy said, acknowledging that the Ukrainian people and parliament, not the United States, should decide whether to hold elections.