Who is Keith Kellogg and what he said about Ukraine: Key statements

Contents:

• What is known about Keith Kellogg
• In Trump's team
• Kellogg's peace plan
• What Kellogg says about the war
• Kellogg's visit to Ukraine

What is known about Keith Kellogg

Joseph Keith Kellogg was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1944. He devoted almost half of his life to a military career:

• At 23, he fought in Vietnam as part of the 101st Airborne Division, serving as a US Army special forces officer;
• He was a brigade commander during Operation Just Cause in Panama (1989);
• As part of the US Army's Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf, he served as the chief of staff of the 82nd Airborne Division (1990-1991);
• He held the position of Managing Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq during the U.S. military operation (2003-2004);
• At 59, he retired with the rank of Lieutenant General.

After his military service, Kellogg worked as a consultant for internal security at Oracle, served as Executive Vice President of the technology company CACI International, and in 2009 became Senior Vice President at Cubic Corporation, a manufacturer of security industry equipment.

Kellogg has been married for 44 years and has three children. His wife, Paige, also served in the US Army and participated in the US operation in Grenada as part of the airborne forces.

Kellogg's daughter, Meaghan Mobbs, leads the charitable organization R.T. Weatherman Foundation. One of its focuses is helping Ukraine, including providing humanitarian aid, restoring the mental health of soldiers, and repatriating the bodies of US citizens who died in Ukraine.

In Trump's team

Keith Kellogg was appointed Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the U.S. National Security Council immediately after Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election. He also temporarily fulfilled the role of National Security Advisor to the President of the United States.

In 2018, Vice President Mike Pence appointed Keith Kellogg as his National Security Advisor.

Photo: Keith Kellogg worked on Trump's team during his first term (wikimedia.org)

Kellogg was present during the 2019 phone call between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which almost led to the impeachment of the US President.

At that time, Trump was accused of allegedly pressuring Zelenskyy to reopen an investigation into Joe Biden's son, Hunter, who had previously worked for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Amid the scandal, Kellogg testified, stating that he heard nothing inappropriate or wrong during the conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian President.

Kellogg was also at the White House with Donald Trump during the US Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, when the official results of the election in favor of Joe Biden were being announced. Kellogg defended Vice President Mike Pence's decision not to leave the Capitol when the security service insisted on his evacuation. Trump criticized Pence for refusing to attempt to prevent Congress from confirming Biden as President.

After the results of the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump regained his position as President. Keith Kellogg also returned to the President's administration.

The newly elected US leader announced that General Keith Kellogg, his former National Security Advisor, would become the Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia.

Donald Trump explained his decision by stating that Kellogg has an outstanding military and business career and extensive experience in national security.

Screenshot of x.com/generalkellogg

Kellogg, for his part, stated that he is ready to work toward ensuring peace through strength while defending the interests of the United States.

Kellogg's peace plan

Since 2021, Keith Kellogg has been one of the leaders of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), an organization that developed proposals for national security policy for a future Trump administration.

In the spring of 2024, AFPI published a report in which Kellogg, along with Fred Fleitz, proposed a vision for resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Kellogg's strategy includes a series of diplomatic, military, and political steps aimed at halting hostilities and establishing a new balance of power in the region.

First and foremost, it was emphasized that this peace plan should become the official US policy on ceasefire and negotiations for settlement.

The plan indicated that future US assistance, which may likely be provided as a loan, would depend on negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

In other words, Ukraine could receive more American military assistance only if it agrees to peace talks with Russia. However, if Russia refuses to engage in negotiations, the US will increase its support for Ukraine.

According to CNN, Kellogg advocated for the front line to be frozen through a ceasefire and the establishment of a demilitarized zone.

As CNN reported, by agreeing to this, Russia would receive limited sanctions relief, and full relief would come only after signing a peace agreement that is favorable to Ukraine.

At the same time, as noted in this plan, Ukraine would not be asked to abandon its goal of reclaiming the territories occupied by Russia, but Kyiv would have to pursue this goal through diplomatic means.

Kellogg suggested that this will require a future diplomatic breakthrough, which is unlikely to happen before Putin steps down.

What Kellogg says about the war

Kellogg supports Donald Trump's position that in the war between Russia and Ukraine, it's necessary to find ways to stop the killings and that this should be the core of the peace agreement.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump instructed Kellogg to end the war in Ukraine within 100 days. Kellogg had previously stated that his goal was to find a solution to end the conflict within 100 days.

In a recent interview on Fox News, Kellogg emphasized that ending the war in Ukraine could be achieved in months, not years and that there is already a reliable plan in place.

According to the Special Envoy, US President Donald Trump creates leverage for both Kyiv and Moscow, because he knows where and how to apply pressure and skillfully makes any deals.

Kellogg believes it was a mistake for former US leader Joe Biden to refuse to negotiate with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, in contrast to President Donald Trump, who talks to both adversaries and allies.

Speaking about the potential imposition of additional sanctions against Russia as a lever for progress in the war, Kellogg noted that the decision is up to President Trump.

At the same time, he believes that an effective means of influencing Russia could be reducing the price of oil to $45 per barrel. Kellogg also does not rule out the possibility of purchasing American weapons for Ukraine with the proceeds from frozen Russian assets.

Trump’s Special Envoy believes that both sides of the conflict will have to make concessions if they want to agree on ending the war.

Moreover, according to Kellogg, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has made it clear that he is ready to soften his position, and Russian President Putin will also need to do the same.

Kellogg stated that in the near future, discussions are planned with all parties involved. He believes this is beneficial for both sides.

Photo: Kellogg proposed a peace plan for the war in Ukraine (GettyImages)

The details of the peace agreement that could be proposed to Ukraine and Russia are not being disclosed in the United States, but Kellogg has already shared some specifics.

According to him, the US wants presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine to take place by the end of 2025, if a ceasefire can be achieved between the parties.

"Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so. I think it is good for democracy. That's the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running," Kellogg said in an interview with Reuters.

According to sources of the agency, Kellogg and other White House officials are discussing the possibility of pressuring Ukraine to agree to elections as part of a truce with Russia, and whether they should insist on a ceasefire before a permanent peace agreement is signed. According to Reuters, the winner of the presidential elections could be responsible for negotiations with Moscow.

Ukraine has reacted critically to Kellogg's statement about elections and called for a "more in-depth approach" from allies in addressing the issue.

Kellogg's visit to Ukraine

Kellogg visited Ukraine back in 2023, but as a private individual. During his visit, he traveled to de-occupied and frontline cities and met with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Photo: Keith Kellogg receives a mace as a gift from Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov (t.me/citykharkivua)

A new visit by Keith Kellogg to Ukraine, this time as a Special Envoy of the US President, was announced for early January 2025, before Donald Trump's inauguration. Kellogg was expected to visit Kyiv, and then travel to Paris and Rome.

However, it later became known that the special representative of Donald Trump postponed his familiarization trip to Kyiv and other European capitals. Reuters reported that Kellogg’s visit was expected after the inauguration of the 47th US President.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that there were no political reasons for the delay of the American official’s trip. The delay was due to legal reasons, as the visit of Kellogg must occur after Donald Trump’s inauguration. Specifically, according to the US legislative act known as the Logan Act, all contacts must take place after the President assumes office.

On Sunday, February 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the Associated Press that Keith Kellogg and his team would visit Ukraine soon.

"I am confident they will be in Ukraine very soon. This is important for them, and we agreed with President Trump that the teams would engage more. That's how it will be," Zelenskyy stated.

According to the President, contacts are already ongoing online and via phone, but no specific date for the visit has been set.

US President Donald Trump also announced yesterday that his administration has planned a series of meetings and negotiations, including with Ukraine, Russia, and "various parties".

Sources: publications by Fox News, Reuters, CNN, WSJ, AP, Radio Liberty, the Telegram channel of the Kharkiv City Administration, a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi, the website of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, and information from Wikipedia.