US President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of General Keith Kellogg as Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia.
“I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg as Assistant to the President and Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia. Keith has had a distinguished military and business career, including serving in very important national security positions in my first administration,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial.
Previously, Kellogg served as National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council in the first Trump administration. He served as National Security Advisor after Michael Flynn resigned.
According to The Wall Street Journal on November 6, Kellogg’s plan to end the war in Ukraine includes Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO for 20 years, freezing the front line and creating a demilitarized zone. It also provides for the transfer of the occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.
Republican Mike Walz, Donald Trump’s future national security adviser, congratulated Keith Kellogg on his appointment as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, confirming that Kellogg will seek a peace agreement.
“Keith has dedicated his life to protecting our great country and is committed to a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine,” he wrote on social media platform X.
In July 2024, in an interview with Voice of America, Keith Kellogg confirmed that Donald Trump had been given proposals to end the war in Ukraine, “an option that the president could use if elected.” In particular, according to him, such a plan involves encouraging Ukraine and Russia to start peace talks as soon as possible. It was said that the United States would continue to arm Ukraine to deter Russia from aggression during or after an agreement is reached. However, this will be done if Kyiv agrees to start negotiations.
According to the plan, to encourage Russia to negotiate, the United States and other NATO partners could postpone Ukraine’s membership in the alliance for an extended period in exchange for a “comprehensive, verifiable peace agreement with security guarantees.”
It is noted that in this version of a peaceful settlement, Ukraine may try to return its territories, but over a long period of time. It may be possible to complete this process only after Putin’s death, and through diplomatic means. It is also proposed to partially lift sanctions against Russia to encourage Moscow to take certain steps towards peace, and to establish a tax on imports of Russian energy resources for the restoration of Ukraine.
