Kyiv: A planned press conference featuring retired US General Keith Kellogg, former President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was unexpectedly called off on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that the event was canceled at the request of the US delegation, though no official statement has been issued by Washington.
The cancellation comes just a day after Trump launched a scathing attack on Zelenskyy, referring to him as a "dictator" and criticizing his handling of the war against Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Ukraine was in ruins under Zelenskyy’s leadership and warned that he needed to act quickly or risk losing his country entirely.
Trump’s remarks were in response to Zelenskyy’s earlier statement accusing him of being influenced by Russian disinformation. The US president also questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy's government, citing the postponement of Ukraine’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for March or April 2024. Under Ukraine’s constitution, however, elections cannot be held while martial law remains in effect, a measure introduced when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Kremlin has frequently attempted to use the election delay as a way to challenge Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, but Kyiv maintains that the decision is based on constitutional law. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy reiterated that while he is open to discussions about elections, most Ukrainians are opposed to holding them while the country remains at war.
Following Trump’s criticism, several European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, publicly defended Zelenskyy, affirming that he was democratically elected. French President Emmanuel Macron has also voiced his support for Ukraine’s leadership. Starmer and Macron are expected to visit the White House next week for discussions on the ongoing war with Russia.
Meanwhile, Financial Times reported, citing anonymous sources, that the United States is resisting efforts to label Russia as a war aggressor in a Group of Seven statement marking the third anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since 2022, the G7 has issued a statement in support of Ukraine every Feb. 24, the day Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion but the U.S is opposing such statement this year.
