Trump's Ukraine envoy should end Russia's war

A former general serving as Trump's Ukraine peace envoy? Keith Kellogg is facing what may be the biggest diplomatic challenge of his career: ending Europe's escalating wars under Trump's controversial dictum.

Bastian Brauns/t-online

Nearly a century ago, former U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact. It was an ambitious, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to outlaw war. About a decade later, Germany invaded neighboring Poland in 1939, plunging the world into World War II.

Although critics later viewed Kellogg's plan as a utopian enterprise, the agreement demonstrated a strong desire for global stability in the face of the horrific devastation of World War I.

About a hundred years later, another Kellogg from the United States was said to be working to bring peace to the world. This time his name is Keith Kellogg. The retired U.S. general has no family ties to former politician Frank B. Kellogg. But after Donald Trump on Wednesday named him “Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia,” he faces, in a sense, a bigger challenge:

Keith Kellogg is tasked with solving a war that has long threatened to escalate into a global crisis.

Military background meets diplomatic mission

The former U.S. general is known as a tough, calm military strategist. Kellogg, therefore, appears to fit perfectly into Trump's foreign and security policy plans. Because his nomination follows Trump's pattern of assembling a foreign policy team that shares his worldview. In addition to Kellogg, his new national security adviser Mike Walz and future secretary of state Marco Rubio are also expected to play key roles in realizing Trump's vision for America's role on the world stage.

Trump's former general Keith Kellogg: He should use 'power' to create peace.Image: trapezoid

Central to this strategy is Trump’s slogan “peace through strength.” Trump sending Kellogg, a veteran with decades of military experience, on a diplomatic mission could be seen as a symbolic expression of this motto. Kellogg has long been considered a reliable ally of Trump. He already had a key advisory role in Trump's first Cabinet because of his previous role as national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence.

Kellogg was deeply familiar with security policy and military logistics. He is particularly well suited to his new role as Ukraine/Russia envoy, largely because he aligns with Trump's foreign policy principles of prioritizing U.S. interests on all fronts while challenging traditional diplomatic norms.

Early criticism of Joe Biden's Ukraine strategy

In articles, interviews and other public statements, Kellogg was early to criticize the outgoing Biden administration for being hesitant to provide strong military support to Ukraine. In an interview with Voice of America in July this year, he said:

Go one step further:

Kellogg's vision for Ukraine and Russia

The former general relied not only on military pragmatism in the Ukraine war but also on targeted negotiations. In a National Interest article published in late 2023, he outlined what a Trump-led Ukraine strategy might look like. In it, he called for immediate ceasefire negotiations and made a clear commitment to Russia's geopolitical ambitions. “The war must end with dignity for both sides”Kellogg wrote, stressing the need to find a solution that respects Ukraine's sovereignty while addressing Russia's security concerns.

Kellogg also called for a reassessment of NATO's role in Eastern Europe. While he supports the alliance, he warns against overexpansion, especially rapid expansion into the East. That view is consistent with Trump's longstanding skepticism of NATO, which he has often criticized as placing a disproportionate burden on the United States. At the same time, Trump's explanation appeared to echo Russia's view that NATO was somehow responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which violated international law.

Where this view would ultimately lead, such as ceding territory or committing to alliance neutrality, is unclear in the United States. What is certain is that these options will be on the table in the coming months.

Impact on Europe

Kellogg's appointment has major implications for European politics, particularly for Germany and its chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and his likely successor. Scholz has been repeatedly criticized at home and abroad for his increasingly cautious and often wary support for Ukraine. Like Biden, Scholz has been accused of being hesitant to provide military aid, such as tank deliveries or Taurus, despite his commitment to supporting Ukraine. Scholz praised Biden for taking “cautious” actions during a nearly three-year war that could derail him at the end of his term.

The potential for a more aggressive approach by the United States under the leadership of Donald Trump, Mike Walz, Marco Rubio and Keith Kellogg has already brought about divisions within NATO and its supporting alliances. risk. To be sure, pressure will increase on Berlin in particular to increase its support for Ukraine — militarily and financially.

Trump's nomination of Kellogg could prove to be a double-edged sword for the German chancellor. On the one hand, a possible solution to the conflict could alleviate the enormous economic and political pressure that Europe faced as a result of the war. On the other hand, a Trump-led strategy could ignore European voices, especially if it prioritizes U.S.-Russian negotiations over broader consensus.

At least for the duration of Trump's presidency, the continent may have to bear the subsequent costs on its own, including the cost of Europe's future security architecture. In any case, it is premature to speculate whether Keith Kellogg will win the Nobel Peace Prize like his namesake a hundred years ago. But there is already great hope that his possible plan could at least maintain global peace for longer than it did then.