Washington, D.C., November 28, 2024 – The Europe Today: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated retired General Keith Kellogg, a former advisor and loyal ally, as Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, with a mandate to end the two-and-a-half-year war between Kyiv and Moscow.
“I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Keith has led a distinguished military and business career, including serving in highly sensitive national security roles in my first administration,” Trump announced in a statement on Wednesday.
Kellogg, 80, who served as Chief of Staff for Trump’s National Security Council and as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Mike Pence, has been a vocal proponent of leveraging U.S. military support to encourage peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
In a recent academic paper for the America First Policy Institute, Kellogg argued for continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a bargaining tool. “The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia makes no further advances… However, future military aid will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia,” the paper stated.
Challenging Mandate
Kellogg will inherit a fraught and protracted conflict, with U.S. aid to Ukraine totaling over $56 billion under the Biden administration since the war began in February 2022. The Biden administration has also urged Ukraine to bolster its military capabilities through expanded conscription and reforms to its mobilization laws.
At the Republican National Convention in July, Kellogg emphasized the stark choices facing Ukraine. “If Ukraine doesn’t want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities… and that you don’t have 130,000 dead; you will have 230,000–250,000,” he told Voice of America.
Trump’s Vision
President-elect Trump has been critical of the Biden administration’s extensive financial and military support for Ukraine, questioning the long-term sustainability of such aid. He has also claimed he could end the war within 24 hours, implying potential concessions to Russia, including territorial adjustments.
Kellogg’s nomination underscores Trump’s intention to recalibrate U.S. involvement in the conflict, aligning with his “America First” approach while pursuing a negotiated resolution to the war.
Kellogg’s appointment is expected to receive scrutiny from lawmakers and international allies as Trump prepares to take office in January.
