US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated retired general Keith Kellogg as his envoy to Ukraine, tasked with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion.
"I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to be Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Keith has had a distinguished military and business career, including serving in highly sensitive national security roles in my first administration," Trump said in a statement posted on social media.
"Together we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH and make America and the world safe again!" it added.
Kellogg, 80, was at Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach, Florida, last week when the future president was considering who the key figures in his administration should be.
The retired Army lieutenant general is a frequent guest on news shows and co-authored a research report in April that called for the U.S. to use military aid to Kiev as leverage to push peace talks with the Kremlin.
The document calls for an "official U.S. policy to end the war."
"Specifically, this would mean a policy ... that seeks a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in Ukraine. The United States will continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure that Russia does not advance further and attack again after a ceasefire or peace agreement."
"However, future U.S. military assistance will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia," the document added.
Kellogg served in the Trump administration during his first term (2017-2021) as chief of staff of the National Security Council and national security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Kellogg currently serves as co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, which is led by others in the new Trump administration.
In a recent interview with Voice of America, Kellogg outlined the basic points of his plan:
- Continuing to arm Ukraine while formal cease-fire negotiations are underway. Aid is conditional on Ukraine agreeing to peace talks
- Postponing Ukraine's NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees and a clear agreement with Russia
- Ukraine maintains its claims to all (Russian-occupied) territories but agrees to pursue diplomatic means to recover them, recognising that this may take considerable time
- Using partial sanctions relief against Russia as an incentive for steps towards peace; imposing additional taxes on Russian energy, the proceeds of which will be used to fund Ukraine's reconstruction
- Seeking a mediator trusted by both sides (presumably Trump could fill this role) for the negotiations
- Providing Ukraine with a bilateral security agreement ratified by the US Senate, similar to agreements with South Korea and Taiwan.
- Continuing military support even after negotiations to prevent a new manifestation of Russian aggression, while rejecting Russian demands to demilitarize Ukraine
Kellogg was competing for a post held by former intelligence director Richard Grenell, who advocated the adoption of "autonomous zones" within Ukraine to end the conflict.
Trump has vowed to quickly end Russia's war in Ukraine, leveraging his relationship with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This has raised concerns among Kiev supporters that the president-elect will seek a quick deal that cedes Ukrainian land or threatens its future security.
Ukraine's former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier said there was no hope Donald Trump would successfully broker a peace deal.
In a wide-ranging - and pessimistic - interview with Politico, Kuleba noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of striking a deal, and said Trump instead faces the risk of a collapse of Ukrainian front lines if the new U.S. administration deprives Kiev of military aid.
Kuleba also questioned the resolve of Ukraine's Western partners - especially Germany, which is facing snap elections - and complained that while Russia has been able to find allies like North Korea to send troops, Kiev's allies have been inconsistent and unreliable in terms of support. | BGNES
