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Is Kellogg Right Choice for Ukraine Envoy Amid Trump's Peace Efforts?

The US president has narrowed retired General Keith Kellogg's role to special envoy for Ukraine after initially tapping him as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev. What could be behind this decision?

The general did not attend the US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18 and was notably absent from the US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah on March 11.

In early March, anonymous US administration sources told the American press that “Kellogg’s role [was] very much in question” and that his actions were "adding confusion" to the team's peace negotiations.

What preceded the move?

After Trump's win, Kellogg was appointed a special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, despite being seen as a staunch Russia hawk.

Previously, in April 2024, he proposed a Ukraine peace plan aimed at enabling Kiev to negotiate with Russia "from a position of strength."

Speaking to the New York Post on February 6, Kellogg rated the severity of current sanctions against Russia “only about a 3” on a scale of 1 to 10, claiming that Trump was prepared to tighten restrictions. “You could really increase the sanctions — especially the latest sanctions [targeting oil production and exports,]” he said.

On February 15, Kellogg advocated for additional sanctions on Russia’s energy exports "to break [its] economic back" at the Munich Security Conference.

In the same month, The Washington Post revealed that Kellogg’s daughter, Meaghan Mobbs—president of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation—has been operating a logistics hub on the Romanian-Ukrainian border to support aid efforts and US mercenaries.

Kellogg told the Senate Armed Services Committee in February 2023 that the path to peace talks is "enabling Ukraine to defeat the Russian army."