US President Donald Trump plans to send his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, to Kyiv, and Steve Whitthof to Moscow, ahead of possible new sanctions against Russia and its energy partners. Whitthof was reportedly supposed to arrive in Moscow today, but his flight returned to the United States. Washington sources claim the initiative came from the Russian side, but the Kremlin has not confirmed this.
The US administration appears intent on persuading Russian President Putin to make concessions to help end the Russia-Ukraine war. However, Trump himself is doubtful about the effectiveness of new sanctions. If China and India continue buying Russian oil, US leverage may be limited.
Trump has promised he can quickly end the war through negotiations with Putin and Zelensky, but the outcome of such steps remains uncertain. There is speculation about either halting aid to Ukraine or increasing sanctions on Russia, depending on each side’s stance. Should the Kremlin ignore US demands, Trump's moves could be seen as a bluff or as a misunderstanding of global politics.
Steve Whitthof may visit Moscow with a “last-chance” message, but the Russian leader is likely to stick to his own conditions. Keith Kellogg’s mission to Kyiv may become more important given growing tensions between the US and Russia, the threat of military escalation, and the possibility of strategic conflict.
Continued military and financial support for Ukraine is crucial. The author highlights the need for multi-billion-dollar aid, ongoing arms deliveries, and permission to use long-range missiles. Only robust and targeted US assistance, in the author’s view, can impact the war’s trajectory and apply real pressure on Russia in the future.
Ukraine urges the US to focus not only on sanctions, but above all on effective support that can help resist Russian aggression in the coming years, even beyond Trump’s presidency. The article concludes: if America wants peace, it must invest substantial resources in Ukraine’s victory.
