Trump Appoints Military Veteran Keith Kellogg as Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump has appointed Keith Kellogg, a former general and former Vice President's National Security Advisor, as a special envoy to push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kellogg has long advocated for the suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

On the 27th (local time), Trump announced in a statement, "I am very pleased to appoint General Keith Kellogg as a presidential advisor and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia."

He added, "Keith demonstrated outstanding leadership in the military and industry, including working in highly sensitive national security areas during my first administration. He has been with me from the beginning. Together, we will achieve 'peace through strength' and make America and the world safe again."

Kellogg is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and a Vietnam War veteran. During Trump's first administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Mike Pence and as Chief of Staff of the National Security Council (NSC). After Trump left office, Kellogg served as the Director of the U.S. Security Center at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a pro-Trump think tank, acting as a policy advisor to him.

Trump's appointment of Kellogg, who has advocated for halting military support to Ukraine, as a special envoy for Ukraine and Russia is interpreted as a move to realize his plan to end the Ukraine war early. While working at AFPI, Kellogg co-authored a book titled "America First Approach to U.S. National Security," arguing that the U.S. should end the Ukraine war through bold diplomacy. He wrote, "Weapons should no longer be sent to Ukraine in a stalemated battle that Ukraine is unlikely to ultimately win."