Kellogg claims Ukraine peace deal close, with Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant key sticking points
U.S. President Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said a peace agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine appears to be nearing completion, comparing the negotiations to the final stretch of a battlefield advance, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service reported on Dec. 7.
Speaking at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum in California on Dec. 6, Kellogg said that "the last 10 meters to the goal are always the most difficult" and that current talks on control of Donetsk Oblast and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant represent the final stretch of efforts to end the conflict, according to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.
Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, has repeatedly voiced optimism about the Trump administration’s peace initiative, telling Fox News on Nov. 23 that "we are about the last two meters away" from ending the war.
Kellogg’s comments come as Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead an intensive push to sell a revised 28-point U.S. peace plan to Kyiv and Moscow
According to an Axios report, territorial concessions and security guarantees for Ukraine were among the most sensitive issues in a call between Witkoff, Kushner, and President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Moscow still demanding that Kyiv pull back from parts of Donetsk Oblast as U.S. negotiators explore alternative proposals.
Kellogg is set to step down from his role in January, the White House confirmed on Nov. 19.
