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Trump nominates retired General Keith Kellogg for Ukraine peace envoy

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Trump nominates retired General Keith Kellogg for Ukraine peace envoy
Retired General Keith Kellogg, former national security advisor, speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, on Sept. 22, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump nominated former national security advisor to the vice president, retired General Keith Kellogg, as a special Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on an end to Russia's full-scale war, Trump announced on Nov. 27.

"Together, we will secure peace through strength and make America and the world safe again," Trump said on his social media network Truth Social.

In June, Reuters reported that Kellogg and another Trump's top advisor, Frederick H. Fleitz, proposed him a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.

The two also reportedly proposed to freeze the front lines in their current position and take Ukraine's NATO accession off the table.

Keith Kellogg, 80, previously served as the Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the U.S. National Security Council in the first Trump administration. He also was a top advisor to then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

Last week, Reuters reported that Trump was considering his former intelligence director, diplomat Richard Grenell, as a special Ukrainian peace envoy.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to end Russia's war with Ukraine if elected, saying in September that he would negotiate a deal "that's good for both sides." He also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned further U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Trump's election has intensified uncertainty around Ukraine's war effort at a critical time, as Russian forces make their fastest gains in months and North Korean troops are stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Denisova began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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