Mystery as Donald Trump's special envoy postpones trip to Ukraine

President-elect Donald Trump's pick as Ukraine envoy for his new administration has postponed a trip to Kyiv until after the inauguration later this month, per a new report.

Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment via email.

Why It Matters

The incoming Republican president has repeatedly promised to end the war in Ukraine, now approaching the three-year mark, in just one day.

Officials in Kyiv and countries on NATO's eastern flank are concerned that a Trump-brokered ceasefire to Europe's largest land conflict since World War II could come at Ukraine's expense and that of the alliance countries close to Russia. Trump has said he has good relationships with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

Officials and experts are skeptical that the 24-hour period Trump has pledged is unrealistic but believe the president-elect will make significant efforts early in his second presidential term to secure a ceasefire. Trump has already said since the November election that swept him back into power that he is working on bringing the war to an end.

What To Know

Reuters reported on Monday that Keith Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former acting national security adviser, had rescheduled a visit to Kyiv from early January until after Trump heads back into the White House on January 20, citing four anonymous sources with knowledge of the trip's planning.

The news agency reported that Kellogg's team had meetings in cities like Paris and Rome in the works, and it is not clear why the visit is being delayed.

The revised date for the European visit after the inauguration has not been decided, according to Reuters.

A spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry said in late November that Kyiv welcomed Kellogg's nomination "for this important mission."

Kellogg co-authored a report handed to Trump in the summer of 2024 outlining a possible route to end the war in Ukraine should the Republican win in November, Reuters reported in June.

The plan included telling Kyiv that Washington would only continue funneling military aid into the country if it sat down for peace talks while cautioning Moscow that the U.S. would up its support for Ukraine if the Kremlin refused to negotiate, the news agency reported at the time. According to the report, a ceasefire would run across current frontlines.

Kellogg also helped author a research paper in April 2024 for the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute, arguing that the U.S. should "seek a cease-fire and negotiated settlement of the Ukraine conflict" where the U.S. continues to arm Ukraine to deter future Russian attacks after an agreement.

What People Are Saying

Donald Trump during a CNN town hall in May 2023: "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done—I'll have that done in 24 hours."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 3, 2025, that Trump was "strong and unpredictable," adding the incoming U.S. president "really wants to end the war."

What Happens Next

Behind-the-scenes preparations and conversations about the war in Ukraine will likely continue in the coming weeks as the inauguration approaches. It remains to be seen whether Trump and his team will be able to fulfill the president-elect's bold promise to end the war in Ukraine anytime soon.