Ukraine and the U.S. have reached a preliminary agreement on the date of a visit to Kyiv by Keith Kellogg, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Ukraine peace envoy, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said during a Dec. 20 briefing.
Tykhyi did not disclose the specific date of the visit for security reasons. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19 that Kellogg would visit Ukraine before Trump's inauguration in January.
According to Tykhyi, Kyiv intends to use the visit to communicate "important information from the Ukrainian side" that should be considered as the incoming U.S. administration develops its strategy for achieving a just peace.
He said that preliminary arrangements had been made, and Kyiv is preparing to host the Trump team representative.
Kellogg, 80, previously served as executive secretary and chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council under Trump and as a top advisor to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
His forthcoming visit underscores the significant role the U.S. will likely play in shaping the future of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Reuters reported that Kellogg and Frederick H. Fleitz, another senior advisor to Trump, had proposed a peace plan that included freezing the front lines, ceasing military aid to Ukraine unless it agreed to negotiations, and shelving Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership.
During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, claiming he could broker a deal "that's good for both sides."
However, his comments, including praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and skepticism of further U.S. assistance to Ukraine, have raised concerns in Kyiv about the potential shift in U.S. policy.
Oleg Sukhov
