Trump’s Special Envoy For Ukraine Keith Kellogg Advocates “Peace Through Force” Approach to Ending the War

Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, has declared his readiness to ensure “peace through force” in Ukraine.

In June, Trump was presented with a “peace plan” drafted by two of his advisers, Keith Kellog and Fred Fleitz, both former Chiefs of Staff of the National Security Council during Trump’s 2017-21 presidency. The plan outlines measures aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

The peace plan proposes that the US halt the supply of military aid to Ukraine if it refuse to engage in peace negotiations. Conversely, it would increase military support to Kyiv in response to any refusal by Moscow to negotiate. The plan provides for a ceasefire based on current battle lines, effectively freezing the conflict at its existing stage.

“The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement. Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia,” the plan states. “To convince Putin to join peace talks, President Biden and other NATO leaders should offer to put off NATO membership for Ukraine for an extended period in exchange for a comprehensive and verifiable peace deal with security guarantees.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said that "the war would end sooner" under Trump's administration, but stressed the enduring importance of ensuring a just peace on Ukraine’s terms.

"For us, just peace is very important, so that we don’t feel like we lost our best for the injustice that was imposed on us. The war will end, but there is no exact date. Certainly, with the policies of the team that will soon lead the White House, the war will end sooner. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it’s also very important to them," Zelenskyy stated.

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha reflected this position, claiming that “Ukraine will not agree to any negotiations that involve compromises on its territory.” Such compromises, he argued, would leave millions of Ukrainians under Russian control, exposing them to “genocide, torture, and oppression.”