In a significant development for the incoming U.S. administration’s policy on Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, President-elect Donald Trump’s designated Ukraine envoy, is planning a fact-finding trip to Kyiv and several other European capitals in early January, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
The trip, which is still being finalized, is expected to include meetings with senior Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv, as well as stops in key European cities such as Rome and Paris to discuss the ongoing conflict with allied governments. The objective, insiders say, is for Kellogg to get an on-the-ground assessment of the situation and gather insights to help shape the Trump administration’s approach.
The planned mission comes at a critical juncture, as tensions remain high in eastern Ukraine and provocative incidents continue to unsettle the shaky ceasefire. Just this week, a senior Russian general was killed in a targeted strike in Moscow that Ukrainian intelligence is suspected of orchestrating.
Russian General’s Death Highlights Chemical Weapons Concerns
The dramatic assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who headed the Russian military’s radiological, chemical and biological defense program, has cast a fresh spotlight on allegations that Russia has deployed banned chemical agents in Ukraine.
According to defense analysts, the unit overseen by Kirillov has been implicated by Ukraine, the U.S. and U.K. in the battlefield use of substances like tear gas, which is prohibited under international law, as well as the more obscure but concerning toxic agent chloropicrin. Ukrainian soldiers have reported encountering these chemicals with alarming frequency.
“Ukrainian soldiers report a persistent use of chemical weapons, mostly teargas, whose deployment on the battlefield is illegal.”
– Defense Analyst
North Korean “Volunteers” Take Heavy Losses
In another startling revelation, a senior U.S. military official disclosed that “several hundred” North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine’s Kursk region have suffered significant casualties, including soldiers of all ranks killed in action.
The official noted that the North Korean contingent lacks combat experience and has struggled against battle-hardened Ukrainian defenders.
“These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven’t been in combat before … [that is] why they have been suffering the casualties that they have at the hands of the Ukrainians.”
– Senior U.S. Military Official
Nato Takes Reins on Ukraine Military Aid
Meanwhile, in a move widely seen as aimed at insulating support for Ukraine against shifts in U.S. policy under Trump, Nato has officially taken over coordination of Western military assistance from the U.S.-led Ramstein group.
The new Nato mission, known as Nato Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), is headquartered in Germany and expected to have a total strength of around 700 personnel. Allied officials see this as a safeguard to maintain the flow of critical aid.
“The work of NSATU … is designed to place Ukraine in a position of strength, which puts Nato in a position of strength to keep safe and prosperous its one billion people in both Europe and North America. This is a good day for Ukraine and a good day for Nato.”
– U.S. Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe
Uncertainty Looms as Trump Era Dawns
As Kellogg prepares for his listening tour, many in Kyiv and European capitals are watching warily, given Trump’s past overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to upend support for Nato if allies don’t boost military spending. Trump has openly questioned the utility of the alliance and suggested he may recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
While Kellogg is well-respected in military circles, it remains to be seen how much sway the retired general and his fact-finding will ultimately have in shaping an administration where the president’s unorthodox foreign policy instincts often reign supreme. As one former U.S. diplomat put it, the looming Trump era injects a degree of unpredictability that has all sides on edge.
“With Trump, you have to be ready for anything. All of the old assumptions are out the window. Kellogg will have his work cut out for him trying to forge a coherent Ukraine policy in that environment.”
– Former Senior U.S. Diplomat
As the conflict grinds on with no end in sight, much may depend on which version of Trump’s “America First” vision takes precedence – the more traditional Republican skepticism of foreign entanglements, or the president-elect’s apparent affinity for strongmen like Putin. Kellogg’s trip may offer the first clues as to where the new administration is headed.
With intense fighting still flaring and the ceasefire hanging by a thread, all eyes will be on the retired general to see what facts he finds on the ground, and what course corrections, if any, he and Trump chart in the months ahead. For Ukraine, and a watchful world, much hangs in the balance.
