It is irresponsible to “stoke fears” of global conflict, Keith Kellogg says
US presidential envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has accused former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of warmongering, following Medvedev’s warning that current tensions with the US could escalate into World War III.
Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made the remarks in response to comments by President Donald Trump.
“Stoking fears of WWIII is an unfortunate, reckless comment by [Medvedev] and unfitting of a world power,” Kellogg wrote on X on Wednesday. He added, “President Trump is working to stop this war and end the killing.”
Kellogg said the US is awaiting Russia’s submission of a memorandum outlining its terms for a ceasefire, as agreed during the first direct Russia–Ukraine talks in three years, held in Istanbul earlier this month.
Medvedev was reacting to a social media post in which Trump accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire,” and claimed that, without his own efforts, “lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia.”
“Regarding Trump’s words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing – WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!” Medvedev posted on X on Tuesday.
Medvedev, known for his crude and hawkish rhetoric, has previously warned that Ukraine had “one last chance to preserve… some kind of statehood” by accepting Russia’s terms. He also cautioned that failed negotiations could lead to “a more terrible stage of war.”
Trump has pushed for an immediate ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev and has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia if progress is not made. He has also criticized Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him earlier this year of “gambling with World War III.”
The US president has frequently raised concerns about the potential for a broader global conflict. “There’s no profit for anyone in having World War III, and you’re not so far away from it,” he said during a business summit in Miami in February.
At the Istanbul talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large prisoner exchange and pledged to submit detailed ceasefire proposals. Putin has reiterated that, for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt its mobilization, stop receiving weapons from abroad, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory. He also insists that Kiev must abandon plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia.
