Trump's Envoy Excluded from Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks

US President Donald Trump's envoy for Russia-Ukraine talks, Keith Kellogg, was excluded from key discussions due to being perceived as too pro-Ukraine by Russia. Despite tensions, the US is pushing for a 30-day ceasefire, with President Trump warning of severe penalties if the proposal is rejected.

US President Donald Trump's appointed envoy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Keith Kellogg, has been sidelined from critical dialogues aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, NBC News reports. According to a Russian official cited by the outlet, Kellogg's absence from the US-Russia summit in Riyadh on February 18 is attributed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's perception of Kellogg as overly favorable to Ukraine. Confirmed as Trump's envoy in January, the 80-year-old Kellogg also missed a crucial meeting on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia involving US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian representatives.

The Trump administration has proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to, conditional on Moscow's commitment. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow with a US delegation on Thursday to negotiate a peace settlement for the Ukraine conflict.

Following Witkoff's arrival, Putin expressed agreement with proposals to halt hostilities, though he acknowledged unresolved issues. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Putin indicated the possibility of having a phone conversation with Trump. Decisions on further efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict will depend on developments on the ground, he stated.

Despite this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Putin of using preconditions to manipulate and halt progress on the ceasefire agreement. In response, President Trump warned from the Oval Office that Russia would face 'devastating' financial penalties if it rejected the ceasefire proposal after a meeting with NATO Secretary John Bolton.

(With inputs from agencies.)