US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first official visit to Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Whitaker said he delivered a clear message from Washington, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“I conveyed that this senseless war must end, and that peace – led by President Trump’s efforts – is the only viable path forward,” he wrote after the talks.
Whitaker is leading a NATO delegation in Ukraine and has also met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who discussed Kyiv’s needs ahead of winter. Ukraine’s military leadership presented detailed updates to NATO partner representatives on the situation at the front.
Whitaker recently said that potential US deliveries of Tomahawk missiles and actions against Russia’s shadow oil fleet could pressure Moscow into peace talks. He noted that long-range strike capabilities could shift Vladimir Putin’s calculations by threatening key Russian energy infrastructure.
The ambassador added that President Trump is preparing new, tougher sanctions against Russia, aimed at forcing the Kremlin to negotiate. “President Trump holds all the cards. This is just one card that he’s playing. There are many more,” Whitaker said.