After his whirlwind two-day go to to Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s particular envoy for Russia and Ukraine retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg is inside putting distance of sealing a rare-minerals settlement with the nation below assault by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.
“Minerals deal practically completed,” a well-placed supply informed Fox Information.
The Ukrainian aspect made strategies to the settlement textual content and despatched it again to the American aspect, one other supply concerned within the talks informed Fox Information.
Trump is looking for the rights to access Ukraine’s natural resources in trade for the USA having offered billions of {dollars} in assist for the Jap European nation towards Russia’s invasion. Trump stated on Friday that the mineral deal is “fairly shut.”
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U.S. Particular Envoy to Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg shakes fingers with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2025. (Reuters/Thomas Peter)
The White Home stresses that the deal wouldn’t be a assure of future support for the battle with Russia.
Ukraine has been engulfed in an existential battle. Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russia’s occupation are considered as a check case free of charge democratic nations to protect the rule-based international order.
Kellogg visited wounded Ukrainian troops and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he termed a “brave chief.” Trump, then again, lashed out earlier this week at Zelenskyy, blasting him as “A Dictator with out Elections.”
Trump walked again his touch upon Friday that Russia didn’t invade Ukraine. He informed Fox Information Radio that Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Basic Keith Kellogg, meet in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 20, 2025. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto through Getty Photographs)
Rebekah Koffler, a former Defence Intelligence Company officer, informed Fox Information Digital “The end result of Trump’s play for the uncommon earth minerals is unsure now, because the scenario on the battlefield is by all means favouring Russia and on the diplomatic entrance, there are too many shifting elements. It’s the battle of the wills between the grasp of manipulation Putin and the grasp of the Artwork of the Deal, President Trump. And Zelenskyy is caught within the center, simply making an attempt to outlive, figuratively and actually.”
Koffler, who’s the writer of Putin’s Playbook and the host of the Trump’s Playbook podcast, warned about flaws within the minerals deal. “The issue is that a big share of those deposits is in Donbas, Jap Ukraine, managed by Russia. And Putin is conscious about Trump’s unconventional approaches to enterprise offers. So, the Russian armed forces are actually speeding to take over the Shevchenko area, containing Europe’s largest lithium deposits.”
Russia despatched army forces into Ukraine practically three years in the past on February 24, 2022, to illegally soak up the impartial nation into Russian territory. Russian forces have dedicated battle crimes towards Ukrainian residents, according to UN experts.
Kellogg visited wounded Ukrainian troops on the Irpin Navy Hospital. The New York Submit’s Caitlin Doornbas accompanied Kellogg on his tour. She reported that Kellogg and Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink had visited the hospital on Friday “the place Ukrainian troops with leg and arm amputations have been receiving remedies and getting outfitted with prosthetics.”
The New York Submit reported that Kellogg stated “The largest purpose I wished to come back right here was President Trump has stated he desires to cease the killing, and also you’ve obtained to go to the place the place you see what killing seems to be like — what dying seems to be like — and see younger women and men who’ve been wounded and fight. As a soldier, you owe them that respect. As a frontrunner, you owe that respect. And that is one of many causes I wished to come back right here to try this, and this offers me a chance to see them.”
In accordance with the Submit, “Kellogg visited roughly 20 troops, sitting with every one and having particular person discussions. One, named Andrii, had misplaced each legs, a watch, his listening to and suffered a traumatic mind damage.”

President Donald Trump known as Zelenskyy a “dictator with out elections” this week. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
A Ukrainian soldier named Denis, based on the Submit, requested Kellogg, “In your opinion, can we belief Russia? That they may negotiate?”
Kellogg responded “You virtually must look again in historical past, and it’s important to have a capability to barter. All wars finish by means of negotiation, the last word victory on the battlefield ends with diplomacy, and at this time’s world is not any completely different.”
The retired Basic continued, “I believe a greater query could be: Are you able to belief the individuals that you’re with to guarantee that they’re with you? It is kind of such as you ask a deeper query: Are you with us? And the reply is, sure, we’re.”
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Kellogg stated, “I believe the nations of the world acknowledge aggression. Typically diplomacy for a soldier is messy, however what the soldier does is he provides time for the politicians and the diplomats to come back to a conclusion, and that is the explanation why I make that remark that Ukraine owes you — the world owes you — since you mainly sacrifice to permit diplomats to search out . . . a great conclusion — a conclusion you fought for. We, in that place, we owe you that. We have to guarantee that we finish this proper.”
The dying toll of the Ukraine-Russia battle is stomach-turning. In accordance with the Wall Avenue Journal, the variety of lifeless and wounded—primarily based on estimates in September — is sort of a million.
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The wounded Ukrainian soldier, Denis, informed Kellogg that Ukraine should have “a robust military,” as a result of he frightened that after negotiations, it may very well be “5, most 10 years of peace, after which it might get again to the following part of battle,” reported the Submit.
Kellogg answered, “Properly, I believe the intent is there’ll be no subsequent battle.”
Kellogg additionally the visited the Irpin Bridge on Friday, the scene of a robust setback for Russian jingoism. “Ukrainian troopers blew up the bridge throughout Russia’s preliminary 2022 invasion, taking part in a key function in stopping Moscow’s advance towards Kyiv,” wrote the Submit.
Kellogg informed the Submit on the bridge, “I understand how troopers combat for freedom and the individuals combat for individuals. I do know what I imply. Anyone who fought for freedom understands what they did. [Coming here] was simply an opportunity to see one of many locations that they fought and provides them the respect that they deserve — their troopers — and that is why I wished to come back out to do it. That appears one of many issues I can do, is simply go on my respects.
Kellogg added, “I understand how troopers combat for freedom, I do know what meaning. Anyone who fought for freedom understands what they did. [Coming here] was simply an opportunity to see one of many locations that they fought and provides them the respect that they deserve — their troopers.
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The retired Basic paid tribute on the historic website to the troopers who fought towards Russian imperialism.
He famous that “One factor that you could by no means actually perceive till you see it’s the intangible coronary heart [of soldiers] and what they confirmed right here was coronary heart. And that is one thing you may’t measure. And that is what actually saved Ukraine. It wasn’t essentially the weapons, it wasn’t essentially the truth that the world was towards Russia’s invasion — it was the truth that troopers determined to combat for his or her nation.”
Fox Information’ Jennifer Griffin, NaNa Sajaia and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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