US President's Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has been removed from participating in high-level peace talks over the war. The move comes in response to Moscow's dissatisfaction with his pro-Ukrainian stance, reports NBC News.
A US administration official and a senior Russian official told NBC News that Vladimir Putin had deemed Keith Kellogg too pro-Ukrainian. As a result, the Russian side raised the issue of his exclusion from the negotiation process.
"Kellogg is a former American general, too close to Ukraine. Not our kind of person, not of the caliber we are looking for," the Russian official said.
A representative from the Trump administration confirmed that Moscow had expressed protest over Kellogg's participation. However, he could not specify when the White House was informed of this demand.
At the same time, National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt stated that Kellogg remains a valuable team member, especially regarding negotiations with European allies.
NBC News noted that Kellogg did not participate in the negotiations between Russian and US delegations in Riyadh on February 18.
