Trump Picks Keith Kellogg as Ukraine Special Envoy — ‘Good news for the pro-peace camp’

President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled another key figure from the foreign policy team of his incoming administration, and once again he did not disappoint. The Republican leader has reportedly expressed interest in creating a special envoy position to address the war in Ukraine. This role could potentially be filled by retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Head of the America First Policy Institute.

Kellogg, who served as Chief of Staff for the White House National Security Council during Trump’s 2017–2021 term and as national security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence, is expected to play a pivotal role in efforts to resolve the conflict in his prospective new position, according to Reuters. One of Donald Trump’s main campaign promises was a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine. Reports emerged just before the election indicating that the president-elect might begin pushing for a ceasefire and peace talks even before his inauguration on 20 January.

Kellogg’s Peace Plan

From this perspective, it is no coincidence that Kellogg was selected. Along with one of Trump’s close advisers, Fred Fleitz—who also served on the National Security Council during the first Trump administration—, they had already presented a potential peace plan to the president in June.

The proposal suggests that Washington would condition its military and financial support to Ukraine on Kyiv agreeing to negotiate with Moscow. Simultaneously, the United States would convey to Russia that any withdrawal from the talks would result in increased US aid to Ukraine. ‘I’m not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it, but we were pleased to get the feedback we did,’ Fleitz said in June after presenting the plan to Trump.

‘Washington would condition its military and financial support to Ukraine on Kyiv agreeing to negotiate with Moscow’

Fleitz also stated that Ukraine would not be required to formally cede territory to Russia under their plan. However, he acknowledged that Ukraine was unlikely to regain full control of all its territory in the near term. According to Kellogg and Fleitz, a lasting peace in Ukraine would necessitate additional security guarantees for the country. Fleitz further noted that ‘arming Ukraine to the teeth’ would likely be a key component of such guarantees.

At the time, the Kremlin stated that any peace plan proposed by a potential future Trump administration would need to reflect the realities on the ground. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to negotiations. ‘The value of any plan lies in the nuances,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. ‘President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia has been and remains open to negotiations, taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground,’ he added.

Good News for the Pro-Peace Camp

The Hungarian government welcomed the news of Keith Kellogg’s potential appointment. ‘The Hungarian government will support the Head of the America First Policy Institute in the success of his work, and we stand ready to cooperate in all efforts for peace’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said.

He further stated that, since Donald Trump’s election, the Democratic administration led by Joe Biden has been actively working to obstruct the president-elect’s plans for a swift resolution to the conflict. ‘Amidst the growing threat of escalating war, the global pro-peace majority and all those who pray for peace in Ukraine finally received some good news yesterday,’ Szijjártó said, referring to Kellogg’s potential appointment.

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