President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of retired Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg had previously served as Chief of Staff and executive secretary to the National Security Council in Trump’s first administration and authored a policy paper outlining tactics for ending the war in Ukraine.
The policy paper proposed a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement of the conflict, with potential conditions for U.S. military aid to Ukraine based on their participation in peace talks with Russia. It also acknowledged the difficulties of reaching a comprehensive peace agreement while Russian President Vladimir Putin was still in power.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to end the war in Ukraine, but provided few specifics on how he would do so. He expressed a desire to work with both parties to bring about a resolution. Trump has criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine in the past, while Vice president-elect JD Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services, have also expressed skepticism about the need for U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Vance and Kennedy have indicated support for peace talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting the importance of engaging in negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and NATO allies in Europe. Vance has criticized the reliance on U.S. aid to Ukraine and emphasized the need for European nations to contribute more to resolving the conflict.
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