Keith Kellogg, who served as President Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, revealed for the first time the specific advice he gave Volodymyr Zelensky before the explosive Oval Office meeting on February 28, 2025 - a confrontation so notorious it turned the word "Zelenskyed" into a cautionary term for foreign leaders visiting Trump.
As reported by "Hvylya", Kellogg told PBS NewsHour's Compass Points that he met with Zelensky that morning and delivered two clear warnings. The complete interview is available on Hvylya.
"Don't make it a controversial or contentious meeting," Kellogg said he told Zelensky. His second piece of advice was more specific: use an interpreter rather than speaking English directly. "I know you like to use English and speak English. Use your interpreter," Kellogg recalled telling the Ukrainian president. When Zelensky asked why, Kellogg explained: "Because it allows you to think before you answer the question."
The consequences of ignoring that advice played out on live television. Kellogg revealed that when Trump told Zelensky "you don't have the cards," the Ukrainian president misunderstood it as a reference to a card game rather than a metaphor for leverage. Similarly, Zelensky said "God bless" when he meant "God forbid" - a mistranslation that escalated tensions. "He didn't follow virtually any of the advice," Kellogg said. "It was almost like he got in over his skis. And it was painful to watch."
The former envoy added a detail that reframes the infamous encounter: the private bilateral meeting before the press entered went "really well." The situation deteriorated only after cameras arrived, partly triggered by questions from the Vice President. Kellogg also pushed back on criticism of Zelensky's attire, noting a reporter beside him asked "Why didn't he wear a suit?" - to which Kellogg responded dismissively: "Who cares. That was his national dress."
Before that meeting, Kellogg had visited Zelensky in Kyiv and afterward called him "an embattled and courageous leader" - a statement that drew a negative reaction from the White House. Kellogg stood by it, comparing Zelensky's situation to Abraham Lincoln's: "Here is a guy whose country is at war, with an existential fight for his freedom. The last time an American president faced that was Abraham Lincoln." Trump has since told Zelensky he wants to end the war quickly, while Zelensky himself has outlined his conditions for any talks with Putin.
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