Keith Kellogg, US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Photo: Getty Images
The statement by Donald Trump’s adviser Keith Kellogg about a possible scenario of dividing Ukraine similar to post-war Berlin has caused a loud international scandal. This was reported by The Guardian and The Times, citing an interview in which Kellogg allegedly described a possible demilitarised zone with Russian troops in the east, Western allies in the west, and Ukrainian forces in the centre.
“You can imagine a situation similar to post-war Berlin, with Russian, French and British zones,” The Times quoted Kellogg as saying.
This idea was immediately picked up by the Russian media, in particular the TASS news agency, as a justification for the continued occupation of Ukrainian territories.
However, Kellogg himself later denied that he was referring to the division of Ukraine. In a post on Platform X, he said that his words had been misinterpreted and that he was only talking about the “areas of responsibility” of the peacekeeping mission, not the division of the country.
“I was talking about a multinational support force after the ceasefire. The US does not envisage the participation of its ground troops,” Kellogg explained.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s refusal to accept the terms of the ceasefire, the statement raised serious concerns among Ukrainian and international experts about possible pressure on Kyiv in the negotiations from the position of a “frozen conflict”.
