Trump team pledges to resolve Ukraine conflict within 100 days

US President-elect Donald Trump does not intend to make concessions to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by JKTKMM, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Keith Kellogg

"People need to understand, 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 it's fair," Kellogg said.

The elected American leader intends to negotiate with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, the diplomat said. Joe Biden's biggest mistake was his unwillingness to engage in negotiations with Putin. "They haven't talked for over two years," Kellogg recalled.

"I think they will come to a solvable solution in the near term. When I say near term, I would like to set a goal on a personal level, on a professional level, I would say 100 days and move back. If there is a way to do this in the near term, to make sure the solution is solid and sustainable and this war ends, so we stop the carnage," said the future special representative.

According to Trump, if he were president, the conflict would not have started. The crisis in Ukraine is a fiasco of outgoing President Joe Biden, Trump believes. Donald Trump, however, admitted that he understands Russia's feelings about Ukraine as a NATO member.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Donald Trump would provide Ukraine with the best deal. According to the Secretary of State, the Trump administration will also determine the role of the United States in the peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that Moscow is ready to conduct peace talks with Kyiv without any preconditions. However, Russia would hold the talks only with the legitimate authorities of Ukraine. The dialogue should be built on the basis of the Istanbul agreements and the realities that have developed on the ground.

"If someone goes to elections and gains legitimacy, we will talk to anyone, including Zelensky," Putin noted.

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Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. (born May 12, 1944) is an American statesman, diplomat, and retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He previously served as the National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, and as the Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States National Security Council in the first Trump administration. He served as National Security Advisor on an acting basis following the resignation of Michael T. Flynn. In November 2024, President-elect Trump selected Kellogg to be his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.