Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Kellogg, faces a “difficult path” to reaching a peace agreement, – The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, faces a “difficult path” to achieving a peace agreement. Moreover, it is not certain that he will be included in negotiations with Russia.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The publication writes that Trump tasked Kellogg with ending the war within 100 days, but “almost no one believes he can do it.” As a result, it is likely that Trump himself will personally oversee negotiations at every stage.

The WSJ bases this conclusion on two main points.

First, Kellogg’s agency in the negotiation process is relatively limited. He tends to avoid advising Trump, which the president reportedly appreciates. The publication cites former Trump adviser John Bolton, who said Kellogg “never offers his opinion unless Trump asks for it.”

During Trump’s first term, while in the Oval Office, Kellogg “often listened to conversations but rarely participated in them.”

“Trump enjoys his company and sees him as a fiercely loyal guy, but he has never had any meaningful influence on policy… He certainly won’t propose anything that diverges from what Trump already thinks,” said a former White House official.

Therefore, Kellogg’s former colleagues predict that he “will not be involved in any real negotiations with Russia.”

Second, there is Russia’s wary attitude toward Keith Kellogg.

The publication recalls that Kellogg recently supported Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine with long-range weaponry (stating that this would give Trump leverage in upcoming negotiations). He is also the author of the “carrot-and-stick” idea, which suggests increasing arms supplies to Kyiv if Moscow refuses to negotiate, while relaxing sanctions if Russia agrees to talks.

“Neither approach has intimidated or tempted the Russian side,” writes WSJ.

“Russia has shown no interest in negotiating with Kellogg. The Kremlin believes that the chemistry between Trump and Putin could improve U.S.-Russia relations under a Trump presidency,” the article states.

As for Kellogg, Russian media have described him as “a relic of the Cold War and a representative of the U.S. military-industrial complex.” Articles in Russian media have noted that Kellogg’s daughter, Megan Mobs, was involved in delivering aid to Ukraine and evacuating the bodies of deceased American volunteers. They also highlighted Kellogg’s statements at the beginning of the war, when he visited Kyiv and urged Congress to send more weapons to Ukraine.

Therefore, WSJ suggests that Kellogg’s appointment was a “debut gambit” by Trump, who will, in fact, handle all key negotiations himself.