Supports Biden's decision to strike Russia and remains unfazed by Putin's nuclear threats: what is the stance of Trump's special representative on Ukraine?
The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has appointed retired General Keith Kellogg as the special representative of the U.S. in Ukraine. Previously, he proposed a plan to freeze the war, and now Kellogg has elaborated on his position.
Five days before his appointment, on November 22, he gave an interview to Fox News, in which he supported the decision of the current U.S. President Joe Biden to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range missiles. Kellogg believes that this is beneficial for Trump’s future actions.
"Biden’s actions have effectively given President Trump more levers of influence. Now he can take a step back, to the left, or to the right", he explained.
Kellogg added that such authorization should have been granted a year ago. According to him, one cannot wage war while leaving territory to the enemy.
"If you have decided to fight, then you fight", he noted.
When asked by the host whether he believes that World War III has already begun (as previously mentioned by the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi), Kellogg answered negatively. However, he added that the world is indeed teetering on the brink of a global war.
Kellogg expressed particular concern about the alliance between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea, which, according to him, "feed off each other". However, he is confident that there is no need to fear the nuclear threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they are merely a bluff.
What he previously said about the war between Russia and Ukraine
In his interview with "Voice of America" on July 18, Kellogg, explaining his plan to end the war in Ukraine, stated that it does not involve leaving the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. He claimed that the essence is for Ukraine to have strong positions in the upcoming negotiations with Russia.
"We clearly stated in our article that Ukraine has fought valiantly. They have strong leadership. We believe that the Russians have clearly committed an unjustified invasion of a sovereign state. And this needs to be resolved… Over time, all conflicts end with a certain type of negotiations. So you want to ensure that the Ukrainians do not come from a position of weakness, but from a position of strength. So, the question is how to do this? How to place the right components in their places. No one has ever said, 'You just need to force the Ukrainians to give their land to Russia'", the retired general said then.
He also noted the West's sluggishness in supplying weapons to Ukraine. If this had happened more quickly, the situation on the battlefield would have been different.
"Let’s say a year and a half ago, the Russians fled. And if we, the West, had provided the equipment that President Zelensky requested back then, you could have probably finished the job. You could have reached the Sea of Azov through Kherson, splitting them (the Russian forces – ed.) in half… But since the West, especially America, was very slow in supplying you with equipment and necessary support, it allowed the Russians to go on the offensive. Therefore, I somewhat blame this administration (Biden’s – ed.) and the West for not supporting Ukraine when they should have", he said.
Kellogg also called the demand from Putin for the disarmament of Ukraine and the reduction of our army unacceptable. He emphasized that he holds no loyalty to Russia.
"I have been in Izyum, I have been in Kharkiv, and I have seen what the Russians have done. I have no love for the Russians. There is support for the sovereignty (of Ukraine – ed.). We need to find a way (to protect it). This does not mean that we are saying to give the land back", said the special representative for Ukraine appointed by Trump.
What is known about Keith Kellogg
He is 80 years old and is a former lieutenant general of the U.S. Army. At the beginning of Trump’s previous term, Kellogg served as the acting National Security Advisor. He later became the National Security Advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence. Currently, he is co-chairman of the Center for American Security at AFPI.
As reported by "Telegraph", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine positively assesses Trump’s decision to nominate General Keith Kellogg as the special representative for Ukraine and Russia. The Ukrainian embassy in the U.S. has maintained close contact with him, particularly within the framework of expert diplomacy.