[Kellogg: American and European advisors will attend the Istanbul talks]

On May 29, Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said that the U.S. is concerned about the possibility of Ukraine's delegation refusing to participate in the Istanbul talks, and warned Kyiv to avoid such action.

Kellogg revealed that the U.S. has received a "memorandum" submitted by Ukraine containing 22 proposals for a ceasefire (derived from recent Paris and London negotiations), which he described as "quite feasible." However, Ukraine has not yet received the text of Russia's ceasefire proposal, and he is concerned that Ukraine might refuse to attend as a result. "I advise Kyiv to avoid declaring 'no negotiation with Russia' and must show a serious attitude. The core goal of the talks is to cease fire and end the killing," he said.

Talking about Russia's concerns over NATO's eastward expansion, Kellogg said they were "reasonable," and clearly stated that the U.S. currently does not consider Ukraine's membership in NATO: "NATO's 32 member states need to agree unanimously, and we have heard opposition voices from some countries. President Trump believes that overall security concerns can be addressed by limiting NATO's expansion toward Russia's border."

He said that during the talks on June 2, national security advisors from the U.S., Germany, France, and the UK will be present and hold separate closed-door meetings with the delegations of Russia and Ukraine.

In the first round of talks on May 16, Russia demanded that Ukraine recognize its control over Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea, abandon claims for war reparations, and guarantee the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine according to European standards. The Kremlin rejected the U.S. proposal for a "30-day comprehensive ceasefire," calling it an attempt to strengthen Ukraine's military forces through mobilization and military aid.

Currently, Russia has still not submitted its draft "peace agreement memorandum" to Ukraine, while the White House urges Ukraine to definitely attend.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833503365464064/

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