U.S. President Donald Trump is prepared to double down on the sanctions against Russia to pressure the Kremlin into ending its war against Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told The New York Post in an interview published on Feb. 6.
According to Kellogg, current U.S. sanctions on Russia, particularly those targeting its energy sector, amount to a "3 on a 10-point scale" regarding economic pressure. He argued there is significant room to strengthen them further.
"You could really increase the sanctions — especially the latest sanctions (targeting oil production and exports)," Kellogg said. "It's opened the aperture way high to do something."
He added that Trump has already gathered his national security team, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to discuss a coordinated strategy to end the war.
Kellogg criticized former President Joe Biden's approach of supporting Ukraine "as long as it takes," calling it "a bumper sticker, not a strategy."
Sonya Bandouil
Kellogg emphasized that Trump's administration is focused on a "holistic approach" to ending the war, combining support for Ukraine with increased pressure on Russia.
Trump's special envoy is expected to visit Ukraine later this month for talks with Ukrainian officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said on Feb. 7.
Trump previously said on Feb. 5 that discussions involving Ukraine and Russia were progressing, though he did not provide specifics.
Kellogg confirmed on Feb. 6 that Washington would not present a specific plan to end the war at the upcoming Munich Security Conference but reiterated Trump's goal of reaching a "near-term resolution" within 100 days of his inauguration.
The Trump administration is weighing whether to secure a temporary ceasefire before negotiating a permanent settlement. Kellogg has suggested using frozen Russian assets to fund American arms supplies to Ukraine, an idea he first floated on Jan. 24.
Zelensky said on Jan. 26 that diplomacy could be key to ending the war, suggesting that the Trump administration might accelerate the process.
