February 20, 2025
I am grateful to the United States for all the assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. It’s important for us—and for the entire free world—that American strength is felt.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a meeting in Kyiv with President Trump’s Ukrainian envoy, Gen. Keith Kellogg. The two were expected to discuss paths for ending the war in Ukraine.
Why It Matters: The meeting signals diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Ukraine and the United States. It was also intended to “address a potential agreement that would grant the United States access to Ukrainian natural resources as compensation for past aid and, possibly, as a guarantee for future assistance,“ according to The New York Times.
Although a press conference scheduled between Pres. Zelenskyy and Gen. Kellogg was canceled, Pres. Zelenskyy praised the meeting overall, calling it “a good discussion,” and saying, “Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the President of the United States.”
More Context: Tensions between the two nations began earlier this week when Pres. Trump spoke with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin in hopes of negotiating an end to the war; Ukraine did not have any representatives present. In response, other European leaders gathered in an emergency meeting to discuss Europe’s role in negotiating the war’s end.
On Wednesday, Pres. Zelenskyy and Pres. Trump had a public disagreement over the war in Ukraine on social media. Pres. Trump called Pres. Zelenskyy a “a Dictator without Elections” and accused him of losing U.S. aid dollars. In response, Pres. Zelenskyy said Pres. Trump “was living in a Russian-made ‘disinformation space.'” (AP)
Read More: Trump and Zelenskyy trade barbs as US-Ukraine relations sour over the war with Russia (AP)
Zelensky Meets U.S. Envoy to Ukraine Amid Public Feud With Trump (The New York Times)
Image Credit: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
