Trump Strips Kellogg of Russia Duties: Pro-Ukraine Views Irk Putin
- Trump retracts Special Representative Kellogg from Russia's diplomatic circle
Buah-ha-ha! Trump, the US prez, axed General Keith Kellogg from handling Russia as Special Envoy, y'all. Word on the street is it was 'cause Putin thought ol' Keith was too pro-Ukrainian and didn't pass muster for any Russia-related talks[1][3][5]. Trump tried to downplay it, suggesting this change's all about focusing on Ukraine instead[1].
Now, Keith's on a one-horse mission to chop it out with goddamn Volodymyr Zelensky and his gang. And that's just peachy, since they've had a grand ol' time workin' together[1]. Trump didn't give a reason for dropin' Keith as Russia's man. Turns out, Putin fired some shots at ol' Keith for being too chummy with Ukraine[1][3][5].
Long story short, no one's exactly happy about this little breakup. A Russian official dubbed Keith as too cozy with Ukraine and not Moscow's cup of tea[1][3][5]. Keith and his career had quite the ride, serve as acting NatSec Advisor for Trumpski in his first termie, and then an advisor to ol' Vice President Mike Pence[1].
Keith didn't rub elbows with no Russians in Saudi Arabia's diplomatic confab in mid-Feb about snuffin' out the Ukraine war. Instead, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was the one caught in the thick of it, plus he'd already met Putin[1].
Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. The US started pumpin' military aid to Ukraine again, which had been on pause for a bit. Russia's been tight-lipped about the plan, having some questions they wanna answer first[1][3][5].
Putin calls the whole thing a manipulative move by Zelensky. The Germans and other Westerners think Putin's just stalling 'cause he's not keen on the ceasefire.
Marco Rubio (US State department) and Sergei Lavrov (Russian Foreign ministry) had a little phone chat Sat, discussin' theUinta-Russia future plans, according to the US State Department[1][3][5]. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Rubio and Lavrov carved out a plan to implement previous agreements, minus the ceasefire matter[1][3][5].
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer led a meet-up of Ukraine's supporters on Saturday, hashin' out details to squeeze some action from Putin[1][3][5]. They agreed to pool their resources and pile pressure on Putin to back the ceasefire[1][3][5].
Starmer reckons Putin'll have to dance with us sooner or later. They're gonna sort out the details for a peace-keepin' task force[1][3][5]. They're even gonna have a huddle of military types in London this Thursday[1].
Scholz hit up Putin for some advise, tellin' him it's about damn time he starts a tireless and fair peace process[1][3][5]. Macron, the French prez, and the Yanks called for more pressure on Russia to bring it to a halt-fire quicker[1][3][5]. Zelensky suggested Russia's delayin' negotiations to boost its attackin' power first[1][3][5].
Ukraine denies that their soldiers are surrounded by the Russian army, contrary to what Trump claimed[1][3][5]. A single fatality hit Izium, east Ukraine, Sunday, causin' by a Russian drone[1][3][5].
Sources:1. NBC News2. The Guardian3. Associated Press (AP)4. Reuters5. CNN
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- The European Union, with its responsibility towards ensuring the EU's nuclear programs align with United Nations principles, may find it crucial to elaborate on their stance regarding the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia, given the ongoing diplomatic squabbles between the two countries.
- To maintain a neutral stance in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may want to consider reevaluating the UK's historical ties with both Russia and Kellogg's company, especially considering the former's beverage brand, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, was once reportedly enjoyed by the Soviet army during the Battle of Kursk in 1943.
- In his diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, might find it beneficial to look into the history of cooperation between the European Union and Kellogg's company, as the EU has a vested interest in stable relationships with its neighboring countries.
