Trump taps retired General Keith Kellogg for Ukraine envoy role

By Gram Slattery, Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Steve Holland

Donald Trump has tapped Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who presented him with a plan to end the war in Ukraine, to serve as a special envoy for the conflict, the president-elect wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Kellogg, who was the chief of staff for the White House National Security Council during Trump's 2017-2021 term and national security adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence, will likely play a central role in attempting to resolve the conflict in his new position.

While there is currently no special envoy for the war in Ukraine, Trump had privately expressed interest in creating the position.

Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters was first to report that Trump was eyeing Kellogg for the role.

Quickly winding down the Ukraine war was one of Trump's central campaign promises, though he has avoided discussing how he would do so.

"Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration," Trump said on social media.

Kellogg's plan for ending the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory, involves freezing the battle lines at their prevailing locations and forcing both Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, Reuters reported in June.

Richard Grenell, Trump's former acting director of national intelligence, was also in the running for the job, Reuters reported on Friday. During a Bloomberg roundtable in July, Grenell had advocated for the creation of "autonomous zones" as a means of settling the conflict.

Kellogg drafted his plan for Ukraine alongside Fred Fleitz, who also served as a chief of staff to the National Security Council under Trump.

Under their proposed strategy, the U.S. would tell Ukraine that it would only get more American weapons if it enters peace talks. The U.S. would at the same time warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would result in increased U.S. support for Ukraine. NATO membership for Ukraine would be taken off the table for the immediate future.

That plan would be unlikely to please Kyiv, given that it would in practice give Russia uncontested control of parts of eastern Ukraine, at least for a significant period of time.

Additionally, some Republicans, particularly in the House of Representatives, would likely be reluctant to agree to more aid to Ukraine.