Zelensky meets Trump's envoy Kellogg in Rome

Editor’s note: This item is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg in Rome on July 9, marking their second official meeting.

The meeting comes on the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, co-hosted by Ukraine and Italy on July 10–11. It marks the fourth major international event focused on mobilizing political and private-sector support for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Kellogg, a prominent figure in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, has led recent diplomatic outreach with Ukrainian leadership.

Before his meeting with Kellogg, Zelensky met with Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome. He also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The recovery conference opens as Ukraine continues to absorb daily aerial bombardments and repel Russian ground offensives across the front line. The destruction has placed immense pressure on Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure.

The Financial Times reported on July 8 that Kyiv faces a projected $19-billion budget deficit in 2025, driven largely by declining U.S. assistance and the absence of a breakthrough toward a ceasefire.

A senior EU official told the outlet that Western donors had previously anticipated a peace agreement by next year but are now preparing for continued hostilities.

As the Trump rollercoaster continues, Ukraine struggles to work out where it stands

Ukrainians breathed a sigh of relief of sorts this week after it was confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the continuation of shipments of critical military aid after a brief pause. The days-long hiccup alarmed a Ukraine beset with ever-escalating Russian air strikes and a dwindling supply of the means to stop them, and is just the latest instalment of a saga riven with uncertainty over Washington’s willingness to give Ukraine what it needs to defend itself against Russia. A

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post