The head of state shared this in an evening video address.
According to Zelensky, on the first day of his visit to Kyiv, Kellogg met with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, heads of intelligence and special services, and also met with the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak. The President plans to meet with the U.S. special envoy tomorrow, February 20.
“It is very important for us that the meeting and work with America be constructive. Together with America and Europe, the world can be more secure. And that is our goal,” emphasized Zelensky.
The head of state stressed that Ukraine has been striving to end the war “from the very first second,” but in a way that prevents Russia “from coming back and to ensure that Ukrainians return from Russian captivity.”
“I count on Ukrainian unity, on our Ukrainian bravery, on our relationships with partners, and on our unity in Europe, as well as on America’s pragmatism,” the president added.
Zelensky believes that the U.S. also needs success just as much as Ukraine does.
These remarks from the Ukrainian president came against the backdrop of Trump's accusation that Zelensky is a “dictator without elections.” The U.S. president claims that Zelensky has only a 4% approval rating, although the latest poll indicates that 57% of Ukrainians trust their head of state.
Additionally, Trump stated that Ukraine “should not have started the war” and added that a peace agreement could have been reached within three years.
Kellogg's trip to Ukraine was planned for early January. He was supposed to meet with officials in Kyiv and also visit Rome and Paris. However, it was postponed.
It later became known that Kellogg plans to arrive in Ukraine between February 13 and 22. Zelensky mentioned that he would like to go to the front with the American special envoy so that he could “see our realities.”
On the morning of February 19, the U.S. special envoy arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland. It was reported that the visit would last three days.