What to expect from Keith Kellogg, the man Trump has tasked with ending the war in Ukraine
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to appoint retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg as Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia.
"Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Trump declared in his typical style.
Kellogg himself also pledged, in his new role, to "ensure peace through strength while defending US’s interests."
Read more about the person Donald Trump has tasked with arguably the most challenging issue for his future administration in the article by Oleh Pavliuk, a European Pravda journalist: Peace talks through strength: what we know about Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy on Ukraine.
Keith Kellogg has dedicated nearly half his life, 36 years, to military service.
His last position in the military was a senior role in the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, from which he retired in 2003 as a three-star lieutenant general.
Even after leaving active duty, Kellogg remained involved in state affairs, contributing to the work of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq following the 2003 invasion.
Subsequently, Kellogg spent twelve years in the private sector.
He joined Trump’s campaign team in the spring of 2016 as an adviser on foreign policy.
After Trump’s election victory, Kellogg was appointed to the president-elect’s transition team, which oversees the handover from the outgoing administration. He later became Chief of Staff for the National Security Council.
In February 2017, following the resignation of Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over contacts with Russian officials, Kellogg temporarily served as acting National Security Adviser.
While there was consideration of making his role permanent, Trump ultimately chose Herbert McMaster, who later claimed Vladimir Putin manipulated the US president.
A year later, in April 2018, Kellogg took on a similar role within Vice President Mike Pence's office while continuing to advise Trump on national security issues.
After leaving the Trump administration, Kellogg joined the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, where he became co-chair of the Center for National Security and contributed to Trump’s vision for resolving the war in Ukraine.
Kellogg outlined his "peace plan" for Ukraine alongside Fred Fleitz, his counterpart at the America First Policy Institute.
The core of their plan is as follows: Under Trump’s presidency, the US would officially adopt a policy of facilitating peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. To compel both sides to participate, leverage would be applied. For Ukraine, this means suspending military aid, while for Russia, it entails increasing military support to Kyiv.
The "carrot," meanwhile, includes commitments to continue arming Ukraine during or after the agreement and taxing Russian energy revenues to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction. Russia would be offered partial sanctions relief in return.
The Kellogg-Fleitz plan does not require Ukraine to cede its territories.
Instead, Kyiv would need to acknowledge that these territories will not be reclaimed through military means.
The restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity would only be achievable over time, likely through diplomatic means and after Putin’s demise.
Ukraine should also not expect NATO membership anytime soon, though allies might offer robust "security guarantees" as part of the "peace plan."
According to the future special envoy, the effectiveness of the negotiations lies in Trump’s willingness to engage with "both sides."