KYIV, Ukraine — A news conference that was planned to follow talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy was canceled Thursday as political tensions deepened between the two countries over how to end the almost 3-year-old war with Russia.

The event was originally supposed to include comments to the media by Zelenskyy and retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, but it was changed at the last minute to a simple photo opportunity where the two posed for journalists. The change was requested by the U.S. side, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nikiforov said.

Kellogg’s trip to Kyiv coincided with recent feuding between Trump and Zelenskyy that has bruised their personal relations and cast further doubt on the future of U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort.

As the meeting began, photographers and video journalists were allowed into a room where the two men shook hands before sitting across from each other at a table.

Journalists were then informed that there would be no news conference with remarks by the leaders or questions from reporters. Nikiforov gave no reason for the sudden change except to say that it was in accordance with U.S. wishes.

The U.S. delegation made no comment.

The White House did not respond to questions about why the news conference was called off.

Writing on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said the meeting with Kellogg was a “good conversation, lots of details.”

He said they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian prisoners from Russian custody.