Kellogg: Ukraine must accept the reality of the occupation of Donbass

The US Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, acknowledged that Kiev must come to terms with the fact that Russia de facto occupies most of Donbass.

In an interview reported by the Unian agency, he emphasized that this does not mean legal recognition of Russian sovereignty over this territory and that “Trump is not trading Ukrainian land.”

Kellogg compared the situation to the Soviet Union's occupation of the Baltic states in 1940, saying that Washington never legally recognized it, even though they were de facto part of the USSR.

He added that Trump was reluctant to impose tough sanctions on Russia because he wanted to give diplomacy a chance, even though he believed Putin was mistaken and continued to believe in a military victory.

Kellogg acknowledged that Trump is much angrier behind the scenes than he appears to be on the outside, as he had expected his personal relationship with Putin to contribute to a quick peace.

(mja)