US, France, and European Actions Amid Ukraine-Russia Situation

On March 15, the US President announced the appointment of retired US military general Keith Kellogg as the special envoy for Ukraine affairs. US media reported that due to Russia's opposition, Kellogg, who was originally nominated by the US President as the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia issues, had his mandate reduced to focus only on Ukraine affairs.

The French President said on the same day that "the pressure is now on Russia."

US Envoy's Reduced Authority

The US President posted on social media on the 15th, describing Kellogg as a "highly respected military expert" who will directly interact with the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian leadership. The US President said that Kellogg knows them well and has a very good working relationship with them.

Kellogg, 80 years old, served as the chief of staff of the US National Security Council during the US President's first term. The US President had previously said that he had selected Kellogg as the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia issues, but Kellogg did not participate in the US-Russia and US-Ukraine talks held in Saudi Arabia on February 18 and March 11 respectively.

After visiting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on February 19, Kellogg highly praised the President of Ukraine on social media.

US media cited a senior Russian official as saying that Russian President Putin believes that Kellogg is too "pro-Ukraine" and is not a candidate for special envoy that Russia is willing to accept. Therefore, Russia does not want him to be present in the peace talks.

French President Willing to Dialogue

In an interview published by French media on the evening of the 15th, the French President said that if Russia and Ukraine achieve a ceasefire, France is willing to have a dialogue with Russia on arrangements for providing security guarantees to Ukraine, including "direct communication" with Russian President Putin.

The French President said in the interview that the consensus on a temporary ceasefire reached at the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia is "an important development", and now "the pressure is on Russia." If Russia is considered to have no sincere intention to participate in the peace process, the US President is expected to increase sanctions and pressure on Russia.

The French President also expressed opposition to confiscating Russia's frozen assets, believing that it "violates international rules".

European Countries Discuss Alliance

The British Prime Minister said in London on the 15th that if Ukraine and Russia do not reach a peace agreement, European countries and their Western allies will increase military support for Ukraine, strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, and put pressure on Russia.

On the same day, under the chairmanship of the British Prime Minister, leaders of more than 20 countries and regional organizations, including the UK, France, Ukraine, Canada, the European Commission, and NATO, held a video conference.

After the meeting, the British Prime Minister announced that the participating parties will arrange for military personnel to hold a meeting in the UK on the 20th to formulate a feasible plan on how to provide military support for Ukraine's future security. He said, "We agree to continue to increase pressure on Russia to prompt it to sit at the negotiation table."

The French President said in an interview with French media that evening that "many countries", including some non-European countries, have expressed their willingness to participate in the "volunteer alliance" proposed by France and the UK to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after a future ceasefire. It is expected that each participating country will send thousands of soldiers.

Focus on Reconstruction in Kursk

The acting governor of Russia's Kursk region said on the 15th that the region has begun to systematically formulate plans for the restoration and development of the recaptured areas.

The acting governor posted on social media that Kursk region started formulating the reconstruction plan according to the instructions given by Putin earlier and held the first discussion on the 15th. The draft plan is scheduled to be submitted before July 1. The discussion of the plan first focuses on the reconstruction work in the city of Suja and its affiliated Suja district.

The acting governor said that the reconstruction work faces many problems. The most urgent task at present is to comprehensively clear mines and strive to restore the population to the level before the Ukrainian troops invaded.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said earlier on the 15th that the engineering troops of the Russian armed forces have started mine-clearing operations in the recaptured areas of Kursk to create conditions for post-war reconstruction and the restoration of local production and living facilities.