ISTANBUL / WASHINGTON, DC
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Tuesday that representatives of US President Donald Trump’s team will visit Ukraine later this week.
“This week, some serious people from President Trump’s team will be in Ukraine, before the Munich Conference,” which is set to start Friday, Zelenskyy told reporters in the capital Kyiv after meeting with Nadia Calvino, head of the European Investment Bank.
He added that he will have meetings at the conference with US Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s team. Meanwhile, his team will hold separate discussions with US officials.
Zelenskyy said the teams are working on arranging a meeting between him and Trump.
“We are preparing for negotiations with our partners – both European and American – starting midweek,” he wrote on X. “This includes the Ramstein (Germany) meeting, discussions in Kyiv, and later, participation in the Munich Security Conference.”
Earlier, Trump confirmed that his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, would soon visit Ukraine.
“Yes,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked whether Kellogg is going to visit Ukraine this week.
Trump also said he will “probably” talk to Zelenskyy this week.
“He wants to make a deal … I think they both (Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin) want to make a deal. It’s got to be done,” he said.
Trump reiterated his claim that the Russia-Ukraine war would have never started if he had been president.
Asked whether he is trying to set up a meeting with Putin, he said: “Well, I can’t tell you what I’m talking about, but we are talking as a group. Also, I think he’d like to make a deal, but it takes two to tango.”
Trump was asked whether he could provide more clarity on whether he has spoken to Putin.
“I don’t want to talk about it. No, I don’t want to talk about (it). It’s not going to help you to know, but we would like to get a deal done, if possible only because, in my case, (to) save lives,” he said.
After hinting before coming to office that he would cut aid to Ukraine, in recent days Trump has demanded access to the country’s rare minerals in order for Kyiv to get more US aid.
