KYIV: US President Donald Trump’s envoy for the conflict in Ukraine met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday but there was no immediate word on whether their talks had helped smooth over an unprecedented wartime rift between the once firm allies.

Zelensky had earlier struck a conciliatory tone after accusing Trump of repeating Russian disinformation in response to the US president’s accusation that Ukraine had started the three-year-old war with Russia. Trump went on to refer to Zelensky as a “dictator” who should act fast or lose Ukraine.

Trump, in office for just a month, is pushing for a quick deal to end the war and has alarmed Washington’s European allies by leaving them and Ukraine out of initial talks with Russia.

His vice president, JD Vance, said on Thursday he believed that an end to the conflict was near and there was no stopping the war without speaking to Russia. Trump’s Ukraine and Russia envoy Keith Kellogg said on arriving in Kyiv on Wednesday that he was there to listen.

Britain, France eye ‘reassurance force’ for Ukraine: reports

The two men shook hands and patted each other on the backs as they met on Thursday. Zelensky smiled and said: “It’s good to see you, how are you? … thank you for coming.” There was no immediate word from either side on the outcome of the talks.

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 US plan as it did not include security guarantees.

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Ukraine should rein in its criticism of the United States and agree to the minerals deal. “They need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal,” he told Fox News.

‘Reassurance force’

Britain and France are spearheading attempts to create a European “reassurance force” of fewer than 30,000 troops to protect Ukraine after any ceasefire deal with Russia, UK media reported on Thursday.

A French source close to the discussions partially confirmed the reports, saying France was working with European countries to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire agreement.

The UK-France proposal — attributed to unnamed western officials — would likely focus on air and maritime defence, with “minimal” forces on the ground and none near the eastern frontline, the Guardian newspaper said.

The Times reported that a so-called US backstop in the form of “air cover” would be essential to the plan, which would seek to deter Russia from violating any agreement.

“The area we have a significant advantage over Russia is in the air and in (our) ability to respond to flagrant abuses of a ceasefire,” the Financial Times quoted a western official as saying. It is unclear whether the considerations would satisfy Kyiv or be acceptable to Moscow.

“We are talking about a deployment that would take place after a ceasefire,” a French source close to the discussions said. France would be in a “supporting” role, the source said.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2025