Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday (February 20) met the U.S. envoy for the war in Ukraine Keith Kellogg but their planned joint news conference was cancelled at the request of the United States, Zelenskiy's office said.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier he had discussed with Kellogg ways to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Zelenskiy said he was counting on unity at home and in Europe as well as pragmatism from Washington, striking a conciliatory tone after U.S. President Donald Trump gave him a public scolding.
Trump said on Wednesday that Zelenskiy was a "dictator without elections" who should act quickly to secure peace or lose his country.
Zelenskiy told Ukrainians it was crucial that both the Kellogg meeting and cooperation with Washington in general, were "constructive".
Trump is seeking to reestablish ties with Russia and also invest in Ukraine's resources of minerals critical to the energy transition. Ukraine rejected an initial U.S. plan as it did not entail security guarantees and Zelenskiy accused Trump on Wednesday of repeating Russian disinformation about the war.
