Post-conflict Ukraine could resemble "Berlin after World War II" with the presence of European and Russian forces divided by the Dnieper River, the United States (US) envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told the British newspaper The Times.
Kellogg stated later, on the social network X, that his words and the fact that they allegedly hinted at territorial division were "misinterpreted."
"It could almost look like what happened with Berlin after World War II, when you had a Russian zone, a French zone, a British zone, an American zone," General Kellogg said in an interview with The Times today.
After more than three years of war triggered by the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, and very limited progress towards a ceasefire, several countries such as France and the United Kingdom have indicated their support for the idea of deploying a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
In lieu of the wall built in 1961 to divide the German capital, which was torn down in 1989, the American envoy is referring to the Dnieper River, which, according to him, is a major natural barrier and divides Ukraine and even Kiev from north to south.
According to Kellogg, the presence of French and British forces, in numbers that would guarantee peace, west of the Dnieper would not be at all provocative to Moscow. Russia would be in the east, while Ukrainian troops would be in the middle.
The United States (US) would not send any armed forces, the official said.
Still aware that Russian President Vladimir Putin might "not accept" the proposal, Keith Kellogg also hinted at establishing a "demilitarized zone" between the Ukrainian and Russian lines, to ensure there is no exchange of fire.
"You look at a map and create, for lack of a better term, a demilitarized zone. The two sides pull back, each 15 kilometers," he said.
Announcing the conversation with Kellogg, the Times wrote that the envoy mentioned the "partition" of Ukraine as part of a possible peace agreement.
Kellogg later wrote on social media that his words were "misinterpreted" in the article.
"I spoke about strong forces after the ceasefire, supported by Ukrainian sovereignty," he wrote on the Iks website, adding explicitly that he "did not mean the division of Ukraine," rejecting the idea of territorial division.
Bonus video:
