Summary
- Keith
Kellogg said officials are working hard on Ukraine peace. - Efforts
continue despite doubts about peace progress. - Discussions
include security guarantees and sanctions on Russia. - Kellogg
met Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
According to Kellogg, officials are “hoping to get to a
position where, in the near term, we have, with a lack of a better term,
security guarantees” that allay Ukraine’s concerns about a potential
Russian invasion.
After joining lawmakers, business executives, and diplomats
at Ukraine’s annual National Prayer Breakfast, Kellogg remarked of the possible
security guarantees,
“That’s a work in progress.”
Trump claimed to have initiated plans for direct peace
negotiations between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin a week ago.
However, Russian authorities have made it clear that such a conference is
unlikely to occur anytime soon.
Trump stated on Friday that if direct negotiations aren’t planned,
he anticipates making a decision on the next course of action in two weeks.
Concerns regarding the U.S.-led peace drive are reflected in
the recent influx of high-ranking guests to Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was in the Ukrainian
capital on Friday, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Zelenskyy
in Kyiv on Sunday and pledged $2 billion in aid.
Lars Klingbeil, the finance minister and vice chancellor of
Germany, arrived in Kyiv on Monday to talk about “how Germany can best
support Ukraine in a possible peace process.”
According to the Kremlin, Putin spoke with Iranian President
Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone on Monday. Close links exist between Russia
and Iran, and as Western nations have sided with Ukraine in the conflict, Putin
has strengthened relationships with China, India, and North Korea.
When China holds the annual summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization in Tianjin next week, Putin and Pezeshkian are
anticipated to meet.
Norway and Germany promise to assist Ukraine more.
Ukraine’s partners must “talk about what happens if
President Putin does not relent, if he wants to continue the war,” German
Vice President Klingbeil told Zelenskyy.
In line with remarks made earlier in the day by Norwegian
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, he declared that Germany would remain
committed to Ukraine.
Store stated in Kyiv that Norway’s multibillion-dollar
military and civilian assistance for Ukraine’s struggle against Russia’s
invasion will continue into the following year. Next year, he said, he will
suggest to the Norwegian Parliament that $8.45 billion be spent on Ukraine.
At a press conference with Zelenskyy, Store, whose nation
borders Russia, stated that Ukraine is “defending a critical principle on
the European level” by rejecting Russia’s territorial grab.
While peace initiatives are being discussed, analysts say
Putin believes he can outlast Western countries’ commitment to Ukraine and
utilize his larger force to seize more Ukrainian territory.
On Sunday, Norway promised to invest almost $7 billion ($695
million) in air defense equipment for Ukraine. Two American-made Patriot
anti-missile systems, including missiles, are being jointly funded by Norway
and Germany. Norway is also assisting in the purchase of air defense radar,
according to Store.
Ukraine has persisted in employing long-range drones to
attack Russia, disrupting commercial flights throughout the summer vacation and
striking oil refineries, armories, and transportation hubs.
A drone strike forced the temporary closure of the Russian
city’s international airport, forcing an Egyptian plane transporting Russian
visitors from Sharm El Sheikh to St. Petersburg on Sunday to detour to Tallinn,
according to the Estonian daily Postimees.
In the meantime, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had
intercepted 23 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian areas, both inside Russia
and on or close to the Ukrainian border, during night and Monday morning.
What security architecture details did Kellogg and Zelenskyy
discuss?
The security architecture aims to establish robust and
binding security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure its sovereignty and
territorial integrity against future aggression. The United States has
expressed readiness to be part of this security framework alongside European
partners, underscoring transatlantic unity.
The discussions emphasize political, defense, and economic
components, reflecting a multifaceted approach to Ukraine’s long-term security.
Defense cooperation was a major focus, including preparations for a significant
arms procurement agreement and a drone agreement to strengthen Ukraine’s
military capabilities.
Work continues within the PURL framework, which allows
Ukraine to purchase U.S. weapons using partner funding, with efforts to bring
in additional supporting countries.
