Kellogg Blames Russia for Delaying Peace Talks: U.S. Calls for Deadlines and Concrete Steps
Senior U.S. official and special envoy for Ukraine, Kit Kellogg, delivered a significant statement regarding the reasons behind the prolonged negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, it is Moscow, not Kyiv or Washington, that is responsible for the delay in reaching a peaceful resolution. In his comments, Kellogg referenced statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said that the future course of peace negotiations depends primarily on Ukraine's and the United States' positions. Kellogg harshly criticized this statement, describing it as a distortion of reality, and emphasized that accusations from Russia regarding delays are unfounded. He reiterated that the Biden administration remains consistently committed to making real progress towards ending the war, which has been devastating millions of Ukrainian lives for over a year. The U.S. envoy called for an immediate ceasefire and the initiation of trilateral negotiations without further delays to conclude this tragic conflict. He stressed that Russia has no right to keep dragging out time while continuing to bombard Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, complicating efforts to achieve peace. Regarding the negotiation process, Kyiv and Moscow have held two meetings in Istanbul, but the results so far have been disappointing. The parties have only agreed on humanitarian issues, with no significant movement towards peace. The latest round of talks took place on June 2, during which Russia submitted a memorandum with ultimatums largely unacceptable to Ukraine. Nevertheless, Vladimir Putin declared Russia’s readiness for the next meeting with the Ukrainian delegation, emphasizing a willingness for further negotiations, although no specific dates or formats have been announced. The world remains committed to finding a swift and just peace, but time is running out, and every day of delays only worsens the crisis and the suffering of the Ukrainian people.