US President Donald Trump has tasked Keith Kellogg, the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, with ending the war within 100 days, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Following Trump’s election victory, discussions have emerged about potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as Trump has expressed a desire to end the war swiftly, saying he could do it even before he took office. However, that did not happen. It still remains uncertain how he will persuade Moscow to engage in negotiations. Reports suggest that Trump might consider a peace deal that compromises Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Almost no one thinks Kellogg can end the war in this period of time, “especially the Russians,” says the report.
His appointment, which comes amid a series of new positions in the Trump administration, marks an initial step in peace negotiations that the US president intends to control personally.
Recently, Kellogg has publicly supported the idea that Ukraine can achieve victory on the battlefield against Russia with US assistance. He praised the Biden administration’s decision to provide Ukraine with advanced weaponry, arguing that it strengthens Trump’s leverage in upcoming talks.
Kellogg suggested that additional military aid for Ukraine could be used as a strategic tool to pressure Moscow into negotiations.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that If Ukraine did not receive strong security guarantees, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin would return with a military force ten times stronger.
“If Putin returns, it will be with an army ten times larger than what we faced in 2022. His forces are already 4.5 times bigger. Why would he return? To fully occupy the countries that were once Soviet republics. That’s step one. After that, he’ll act as he did with Crimea,” Zelenskyy concluded.
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- Ukrainian FM Sybiha says maximum pressure must precede peace talks with Russia
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