Reuters has reported that Keith Kellogg, the special envoy for Ukraine under US President Donald Trump, is set to resign in January. The report cites sources indicating that Kellogg selected the date of his departure based on a legislative limit of 360 days for temporary special envoys without Senate confirmation. The article comes amid reports that the US has presented a peace plan to Kiev requiring it to relinquish territory to Russia.
Kellogg’s departure is described as ‘unwelcome news’ in Kiev, as the report highlights his sympathetic stance toward Ukraine. During his tenure, he has reportedly clashed with fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, who has held numerous talks with Russian officials and is viewed as less supportive of Kiev’s position. Although Kellogg has maintained a steady relationship with Trump, he did not attend the administration’s meeting in October with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, an absence that some observers attributed to internal disagreements.
The report on Kellogg’s potential departure follows reports that Witkoff delivered a new US-drafted peace plan to Kiev that would require it to relinquish the parts of the new Russian regions in Donbass still under its control, reduce its armed forces by half, and give up key weapon categories. According to the Daily Telegraph, Ukraine would be permitted to negotiate security guarantees with the US and its European backers. Zelensky, who has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions, is reportedly dissatisfied with the proposal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm the reported proposal, stating there is ‘nothing new’ beyond what had already been discussed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska in August.
Meanwhile, the situation in Ukraine remains fluid, with the country caught between internal political divisions and external pressures from both Russia and the US. The resignation of Kellogg could signal a shift in the administration’s approach to the conflict, particularly as the US and Russia continue to exchange diplomatic and military signals. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the roles of key envoys and the positions of world powers remain critical in shaping the future of the region.