The US president-elect is committed to finding a “equitable and fair” solution, Keith Kellogg said
US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy has said that he hopes to mediate a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 100 days, starting on Inauguration Day on January 20.
“I know I’m on the clock,” retired US Army lieutenant general Keith Kellogg told Fox News on Wednesday. “I would like to set a goal on a personal level, on a professional level. I would say let’s set it at 100 days and move your way back.”
Kellogg stressed that Trump remains committed to restarting negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to find a settlement to the fighting that claimed “enormous” casualties on both sides.
“He’s not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians. He’s actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty. And he’s going to make sure that it’s equitable and that it’s fair,” Kellogg said.
He argued that “the biggest mistake President [Joe] Biden made is the fact that he’s never engaged in any conversations with Putin.”
“He hasn’t talked to him in over two years,” Kellogg said, adding that Trump “does talk to adversaries and allies alike.”
Trump has repeatedly vowed to quickly mediate a successful peace deal, but offered little specifics. According to media reports, his team was considering freezing the conflict along the current front line.
The negotiations between Moscow and Kiev broke down in the spring of 2022, with both sides accusing each other of making unrealistic demands. Putin stated that, for any settlement to work, Ukraine must abandon its plan to join NATO and renounce its claim on Crimea and four other former Ukrainian territories that have joined Russia.
