Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday limited Keith Kellogg's role from special envoy to Ukraine and Russia to only Ukraine. Trump, on Truth Social, praised Kellogg as a "Highly Respected Military Expert" who "will deal directly with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, and Ukrainian leadership."

According to Anadolu Agency, Kellogg expressed his gratitude on X, stating, "I am deeply honored and humbled by President Trump's confidence in appointing me as Special Envoy to Ukraine." The decision to limit Kellogg's role comes amid his absence from recent top-level discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Instead, this week's US-Russia discussions were led by Steve Witkoff, the Special Envoy to the Middle East.

Media reports have suggested that Kellogg was excluded from negotiations with Russia due to Moscow's objections to his perceived pro-Ukrainian stance. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted these claims, stating, "It's their decision who to appoint and who not to appoint. It would be absurd to think that the Russian side could interfere in internal American matters."

Since Trump's inauguration in January, the US has been actively participating in diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has persisted for more than three years. The US has been engaging in discussions with both Kyiv and Moscow in pursuit of a resolution to the conflict.