Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has relied on retired Lt General Keith Kellogg, one of his most trusted national security advisors, to help steer US foreign policy during unprecedented global tension. When Trump announced Kellogg’s nomination to be a special envoy to Russia and Ukraine in November 2024, he said: ‘We will secure peace through strength.’ Since then, Kellogg has participated in the negotiations led by JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, met with Mark Rutte at NATO’s headquarters and visited Kyiv multiple times.

On the day the US temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine, Kellogg delivered a keynote speech at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. He emphasized that Ukraine had several opportunities to sign the US–Ukraine $500 billion Minerals Deal, including during his visit to Kyiv on 19 February and during Zelenskyy’s last trip to Washington, which is unlikely to be remembered as a successful diplomatic effort.

Following his speech, Kellogg sat down for an on-stage interview with CBS’s chief foreign affairs correspondent, Margaret Brennan, where he elaborated on the US–Ukraine Minerals Deal and Washington’s broader security strategy for Ukraine. Arguing that Russia does not carry out large-scale coercive actions in territories where significant US economic interests are at stake, this deal would also serve as a security guarantee for the Eastern European country. When pressed by Brennan on whether withholding military assistance could embolden Vladimir Putin, Kellogg responded: ‘We’re not abandoning Ukraine. We’re restructuring our approach. Financial support without a clear strategy is not a solution.’

Kellogg’s Military Background

Kellogg is one of the most influential US military leaders, having shaped the United States’ security strategy for decades. Born in Ohio in 1944, his birth coincided with the Red Army’s liberation of Crimea, and by the time he was just ten months old, Roosevelt, the first US president who stepped on Russian soil, began the high-level discussions at the Yalta Conference.

‘In the 1990–1991 Gulf War, Kellogg held the position of Chief of Staff and later Deputy Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division’

During the Vietnam War, Kellogg served as a paratrooper and later continued his career in the Special Forces. In the 1990–1991 Gulf War, he held the position of Chief of Staff and later Deputy Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the most prestigious US military units. Following this, he took charge of the Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR).

Throughout his military career, Kellogg played a pivotal role in operational command, logistics, and modernizing military communications. As Director of C4 (Command, Control, Communications and Computers) within the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he was instrumental in advancing the technological development of the US military.

After retiring from active duty, Kellogg re-entered public service, becoming one of the leaders in the Iraq Reconstruction Program. As Operational Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), he was responsible for managing post-war rebuilding efforts in Iraq. His tenure was marked by significant challenges in handling US reconstruction funds, but he gained recognition as a reformer who sought to implement military discipline and efficiency in civilian governance.

His Relationship with Donald Trump

Keith Kellogg’s influence within Donald Trump’s presidency—during his first term and now in 2025—has only grown stronger over time. He joined Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign as a volunteer advisor and contributed to the ‘America First’ national security strategy. On 15 December 2016 President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Keith Kellogg as Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the United States National Security Council.

Following the resignation of Michael Flynn on 13 February 2017, Kellogg stepped in as Acting National Security Advisor until a permanent replacement was named. Although Trump considered Kellogg among four finalists for the role, he ultimately selected H R McMaster. In April 2018 Vice President Mike Pence appointed Kellogg as his National Security Advisor, while Kellogg continued to serve as an assistant to President Trump, according to the White House.

‘Kellogg participated in significant decisions, including the implementation of maximum pressure on Tehran through sanctions’

During Trump’s first administration, it became evident that the president valued Kellogg’s insights. Although he was not the primary decision-maker, he played a crucial role in shaping US foreign policy by offering his expertise on various issues. He participated in significant decisions, including the American withdrawal from Syria and the implementation of maximum pressure on Tehran through sanctions.

His Stance on the Russo–Ukrainian War

During the 2024 campaign, he authored a detailed strategy proposal for the Trump campaign, outlining a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. In the analysis published by the America First Policy Institute, Kellogg argued that the United States should condition any further military and financial aid to Ukraine on Kyiv’s willingness to enter peace talks with Russia. At the same time, if Moscow rejects Washington’s proposals for a negotiated settlement, the US should escalate military support for Ukraine and put pressure on the Kremlin to enter talks.

In his policy paper, Kellogg criticizes President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, blaming it for causing and prolonging the war. He argues that Biden’s ambiguous and inconsistent approach to Ukraine’s NATO membership was a decisive factor that encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch the invasion in February 2022. According to Kellogg, rather than providing firm leadership or clarity, Biden sent mixed signals to both Ukraine and Russia, creating dangerous uncertainty that undermined deterrence and emboldened the Kremlin.

‘Biden sent mixed signals to Ukraine and Russia, creating dangerous uncertainty’

Kellogg also contends that the Biden administration failed to provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons and military assistance during the critical early months of the war. He points out that delays in delivering advanced weaponry, such as long-range missiles, tanks, and fighter jets, prevented Kyiv from gaining the upper hand on the battlefield. As a result, Ukraine’s military campaign stalled, and the war descended into a protracted and bloody stalemate.

Beyond the battlefield, Kellogg warns that continued, unconditional US military aid risks unnecessarily prolonging the conflict while weakening Ukraine’s long-term strategic position.  Pouring billions of dollars into a war without a clear path to victory not only exhausts Ukraine’s manpower and resources but also drains American military stockpiles, undermining US readiness for other potential conflicts: ‘There is little prospect that paying these high costs will allow Ukraine to regain its territory from Russia…What we should not continue to do is to send arms to a stalemate that Ukraine will eventually find difficult to win.’

Conclusion

His battleground expertise and knowledge of Middle Eastern geopolitics make him an indispensable asset for the US President and the Ukrainians. On the one hand, he can report on and analyse military operations and evaluate the scale of destruction in Ukraine. Knowing these pieces of information first-hand, the Trump administration is able to assess the basis of negotiation and help Ukrainians understand US intentions on a global scale. He is not a diplomat, so he is not focused on negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine. Kellogg is shaping the entire strategic framework through which the United States engages in global affairs. As a veteran and architect of the Iraq Reconstruction Program, he knows that military victory is only part of the equation and that rebuilding and securing allies are equally vital to lasting peace.

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