Washington — President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant basic, to function particular envoy for Ukraine and Russia, he introduced Wednesday.
Kellogg served as chief of employees to the Nationwide Safety Council and nationwide safety adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence throughout Trump’s first time period in workplace. He’ll assume the function as assistant to the president and particular envoy for Ukraine and Russia because it nears the three-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump introduced Kellogg because the envoy in a publish to social media, writing that he “has led a distinguished Army and Enterprise profession, together with serving in extremely delicate Nationwide Safety roles in my first Administration.”
“He was with me proper from the start! Collectively, we’ll safe PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” the president-elect wrote.
Trump’s return to the White Home has raised questions on the way forward for U.S. involvement within the battle in Ukraine. The U.S. below President Biden had offered roughly $64.1 billion in army support since Russia launched its invasion in 2022, and about $66.9 billion in army help since Russia initially invaded Ukraine in 2014, in line with the State Division.
The president-elect, nonetheless, has criticized Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy, calling him in June “the best salesman of all time” for pushing for continued U.S. assist in Ukraine’s efforts to push again towards Russia’s aggression. Trump has claimed he would have the battle “settled” earlier than taking workplace for his second time period, and has stated Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if he have been president.
Trump and Zelenskyy spoke by telephone after the president-elect defeated Vice President Kamala Harris within the election earlier this month. Ukraine’s chief stated on social media the decision was “wonderful” and praised his “super marketing campaign” that made his victory attainable.
“We agreed to keep up shut dialogue and advance our cooperation. Robust and unwavering U.S. management is important for the world and for a simply peace,” Zelenskyy wrote.
Trump, in the meantime, has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as “savvy” and recommended in February that he “would encourage” Russia “to do regardless of the hell they need” with NATO member international locations that failed to satisfy the alliance’s protection spending targets.
Ret. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump’s nationwide safety adviser in his first time period, instructed “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday that the upcoming months are “actually essential” in figuring out the “subsequent section” of the battle in Ukraine.
McMaster, a CBS Information contributor, stated that Russia and Ukraine are each incentivized to make “as many beneficial properties on the battlefield as they will earlier than the brand new Trump administration is available in” as the 2 international locations search leverage in negotiations.
