WASHINGTON – President Trump is ready to double US sanctions to end the war with Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, his special envoy to the conflict, posted exclusively this week. He told him, but he knows both. And Moscow must make concessions to end the “industrial scale” killings in Europe's largest country.
The enforcement of sanctions in Russia is “only three” on a scale of 1-10, about how painful economic pressures are, Kellogg said. The US sanctions themselves are nominally twice as high, including those targeting Russia's favorable energy sector, but there's still room for them to ratchet.
“You can really increase sanctions, especially the latest sanctions. [targeting oil production and exports,]” he said. “It opened the aperture high to do something.
“And if there's someone who understands leverage, it's President Donald J. Trump and you can see it with what he's done recently. [in other foreign problem-solving.]”
Last Thursday, Trump gathered a “completely confirmed team” of national security-focused advisors and cabinet members, from Vice President J.D. Vance to Vice President Scott Bescent. To end the war.
“The resolution of the Russian-Ukraine war is truly a government-wide approach, as it is truly decorated with all hands for the entire regime,” the general said. “We asked the national security team to talk about it — president, vice president, national security advisor, state secretary. [and] The Ministry of Finance, the National Security Council, and everything is working together. ”
Kellogg said Ukraine needs to maintain military pressure on Russia prior to negotiations, but he would provide Ukrainian aid “as long as it takes” without increasing pressure on others. He condemned former President Biden's strategy of promising. Elements of state power.
“It's not a strategy, it's a bumper sticker,” he said. “A very high level, I said, OK, [the Biden administration was] In reality, they should have prosecuting wars, supporting Ukraine.
“Working with President Trump, he saw it, and he said early on, I mean, even a year ago I was on the campaign trail with him, we were demographics, losses, And we talked about the absolute tragedy of the war, and I said, “This is the level of violence in World War II,” Kellogg said, and that's when Trump ends the brutal battle. That's why we focus on bringing a holistic approach to making it.
This week's president said he could make a deal with Ukraine about access to rare earth elements that are important to US national security, but Kellogg first said, “I want to stop the killing – just stop it.” Then we'll go from there.” Future negotiations.
“I think we have some opportunities. Luckily, I work for the master trade,” Kellogg said. “He wrote 'The Art of Trade'. I put nothing beyond him. ”
Still, the goal is to end the violence before negotiating the complexities of such a settlement, as “we cannot kill a way out of this war.”
“For Russia, this is like DNA in a military operation. Basically, you're in a battle of attrition,” he said. “Looking at history, you never want to be a battle of decline with the Russians because that's how they fight. They're used to it. This means this is a loss in the Battle of Stalingrad in six months. It was a country that was willing and did, and they didn't blow their eyes.”
“And the pressure is just not military. You have to apply economic pressure, you are sure that diplomatic pressure, some type of military pressure and levers you are trying to use under them. It must be [this goes] Where do you want to go?” he explained.
Still, the war would not end without some negotiation between Russia and Ukraine, Kellogg said. In recent weeks, Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky has shown that he may be open to transfer territory to Russia in exchange for security guarantees, including NATO membership and nuclear armament.
“Very frankly, both sides of negotiations have to be given, and that's how we negotiate,” he said. “And that's where you have to find, 'OK, where is this? What is acceptable?”
“Do you agree with everyone? No, can anyone accept it? No. But you try to implement this balance,” he added.
After a meeting with Zelensky at Trump Tower in September, Trump discussed the reality of bringing Ukraine and Russia to the table. “It's not only 'time' for the peace agreement, but the agreement “it's good for both,” Kellogg said.
“You have to approach it in a very practical way, do you know? I'm going back to Teddy Roosevelt and the Treaty of Portsmouth [that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905,]” he said. “The Russian and Japanese emperors were ready to get out the door [during negotiations] And Roosevelt basically gathered them together and said, “We both had to give a little.”
“And what happens is that Teddy Roosevelt wins the Nobel Peace Prize and the war stops. So, if you look at it, and look at more recent examples, it's exactly like that. I think it's something.”
