US special envoy Kellogg arrives in Kyiv – DW – 07/14/2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, stated that dialogue between Russia and the United States would persist despite seemingly growing tensions between the two powers.

“This dialogue will continue — despite the titanic efforts to disrupt it by all means possible,” Dmitriev said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

The official made the comments after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Putin over Russia’s invasion and announced that the US would send Patriot air defense system missiles to Ukraine.

Trump had made rapproachement with Moscow and a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine a major pillar of his campaign for election as US president, but has in recent weeks increasingly vented his frustration with the apparent lack of progress on peace talks and Russia’s continued aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

Trump is expected to deliver a “major statement” on Russia on Monday, having previously hinted he was open to slapping Moscow with further sanctions.

Earlier this year, Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, met with Trump’s special envoy, Steven Witkoff, when Witkoff visited Russia. Dmitriev also attended Witkoff’s meeting with Putin.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will meet with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington.

Security in Europe is likely to be a focus of Monday’s talks, given the growing Russian territorial aggression in Ukraine.

The meeting is also expected to center on Berlin’s offer to pay for American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, a proposal announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz weeks ago.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said he would send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, adding that the EU would reimburse the cost.

Read more about this and other news from Germany in our Germany updates

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine to help the country fight Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it,” Trump said.

The delivery of Patriot missiles would be paid for by NATO and the EU, Trump said. However, Trump did not specify how many missiles would be sent to Ukraine.

The US president’s announcement of much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he said he would deliver a “major statement… on Russia” on Monday.

Read more about Trump’s change in position regarding the deilvery of weapons to Ukraine

US special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv for a nearly weeklong visit focused on defense and sanctions talks.

Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top aide, posted a video on X showing himself welcoming Kellogg at the Kyiv railway station.

“We welcome US Special Representative Keith Kellogg to Ukraine,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding “peace through strength is the principle of US President Donald Trump, and we support this approach.”

“Defense, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protecting our people, strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the United States — there are many topics to discuss,” Yermak wrote.

In his evening address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that he had instructed military commanders to present Kellogg with information on Russia’s capabilities and Ukraine’s prospects.

Earlier this month, Washington said it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, but Trump recently changed course, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for intensifying attacks as US-led peace talks stalled.

Welcome to DW’s coverage of the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

As Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv for defense talks.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.

This announcement marked an abrupt change in Trump’s position, as just two weeks ago the US paused the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis.