Donald Trump’s envoy heaped praise on a ‘courageous’ Volodymyr Zelensky in an apparent stunning U-turn just hours after the U.S. president branded him a ‘dictator’.

Keith Kellogg, a retired Army Lieutenant General, issued the comments following a meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv days after U.S. negotiators sat down with top Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.

He posted on X: ‘A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine . Extensive and positive discussions with Zelensky, the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team.’

Trump’s envoy also reposted Zelensky’s own positive analysis of their meeting, which the Ukrainian leader said had ‘restored hope’.

It came after the White House had told Zelensky to stop his ‘insulting’ criticism of President Trump.

Trump had previously stunned world leaders by tearing into Zelensky and even appeared to blame him for Russia ‘s 2022 invasion of his country.

The White House continues to apply pressure for Ukraine to sign a pact that would hand the U.S. joint access to its mineral resources to pay for past military aid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, greets U.S Special envoy for Ukraine and Russia retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, right, before the start of a bilateral meeting, February 20, 2025 in Kiev, Ukraine

The initial proposal was valued at $500 billion, which analysts noted surpassed the burden placed on German, which had been an aggressor, after World War I. 

Zelensky had complained about being left out of the two-way negotiations, which resulted in positive statements from the U.S. and Russian sides about potential collaboration on oil and gas products.

Trump even blamed Zelensky for starting the war, which began with a lightning assault from Russian armored columns, years after Moscow seized Crimea in 2014. 

‘You have leadership now that’s allowed a war to go on that should have never even happened, even without the United States,’ Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida Tuesday.

‘You should have ended it – three years, you should have never started it,’ Trump said.

That posture was an extraordinary departure from three years of sanctions, diplomatic pressure and isolation of Russia that the U.S. and European allies applied even while shipping billions in military aid to support Ukraine’s fight.   

Zelensky praised the joint meeting, and retired Gen. Keith Kellogg called Zelensky an ’embattled and courageous leader’

The two men cancelled a scheduled press conference, and instead issued positive statements. Kellogg called Zelensky ‘courageous’

Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, as territory under each nation’s control sets the stage for potential peace talks

White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke Thursday to Trump’s frustration with Zelensky.  

‘President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky, the fact that he hasn’t come to the table,’ said Waltz.

He detailed what Zelensky needs to do to get back in Trump’s good graces, including ‘coming back to the table’ to negotiate a deal over Kyiv’s rich mineral resources.

Slapping down the Ukrainian president, Waltz said: ‘Look, his (Trump’s) goal is to bring this war to an end period…Some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump were unacceptable.”

Waltz, he said Zelensky needs to show ‘deep appreciation’ for the sacrifice the United States has made to help Ukraine. He added that Trump’s frustrations with Zelensky were ‘multifold’. 

That admonition came after Vice President JD Vance in exclusive comments to DailyMail.com said Zelensky may regret publicly ‘badmouthing’ Trump after Zelensky accused Trump of living in a Russian-made ‘disinformation space.’

Trump’s comments have left congressional Republicans searching for steady ground. Even though they have not embraced Trump calling Zelensky a ‘dictator,’ several have embraced his call for Zelensky to face elections before any peace deal. 

Ukrainian elections had been scheduled for last year, but got put off when Zelensky declared martial law in February 2022 after Russia invaded.

Others have reaffirmed the more traditional view that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a ‘gangster,’ even if he is someone who the U.S. must negotiate with to achieve any peace deal. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday at CPAC became the latest to call for Zelensky to face voters – years after he was treated to standing ovations inside the U.S. Capitol during a visit while his country was under Russian assault. 

Zelensky himself has sought to downplay Trump’s attacks, even while pressing for security guarantees.

Trump complained at a Florida Saudi-backed investment conference: ‘We had a deal. We had a deal based on rare earth and things, but they broke that deal … they broke it two days ago.’ 

Amid the uproar, a scheduled press conference between Kellogg and Zelensky got nixed. 

Photographers and video journalists were allowed into a room where the two men shook hands before sitting across from each other at a table at the presidential office in Kyiv. 

But the Ukrainian president’s spokesman Serhii Nikiforov said Washington requested that the press conference be cancelled. He did not specify a reason for the request.