President-elect Donald Trump has nominated retired Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing the goal of achieving peace through strength. Kellogg has a long military and business career and served in sensitive roles during Trump’s first administration. In a policy paper co-authored by Kellogg in April, he proposed ending the war in Ukraine by conditioning U.S. military aid on Ukraine’s participation in peace talks with Russia. The paper acknowledged the difficulty in reaching a peace agreement while Russian President Vladimir Putin is in power.
Trump has promised to end the war in Ukraine but has not provided many specifics. His relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is complicated, with Trump facing impeachment related to withholding aid to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens. Vice-president elect JD Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, have also criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Vance and Kennedy have expressed support for peace talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, with Vance highlighting the need for negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and NATO allies in Europe. Vance has questioned the necessity of U.S. aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the productive economies of European nations. Despite these criticisms, Trump and his team are focused on seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine and improving relations with Russia.
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