US set to unveil Trump plan to end three-year war in Ukraine
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The blueprint to end the war will be presented to allies by US special representative for Ukraine, Mr Keith Kellogg.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – US allies expect President Donald Trump’s administration to present a long-awaited plan to end Russia’s war on Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference in Germany next week, according to people familiar with the matter.
The blueprint would be set out to allies by Mr Trump’s special representative for Ukraine, Mr Keith Kellogg, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Speaking to Newsmax on the evening of Feb 5, Mr Kellogg said he will be having discussions with European leaders on his trip to Munich and report back to the President.
He will not be presenting the plan publicly, as that is for Mr Trump to do.
Allies are expecting that details of the proposal will be shared at the Feb 14-16 conference in the Bavarian city a week before Russia’s war hits the three-year mark.
Mr Kellogg and others have dropped hints in recent weeks of what Mr Trump’s allies have referred to as “peace through strength”.
Elements include potentially freezing the conflict and leaving territory occupied by Russian forces in limbo, while providing Ukraine with security guarantees to ensure that Moscow cannot attack again.
Later in February, Mr Kellogg is expected to make his first trip to Kyiv and elsewhere in the European Union, according to people familiar with the matter.
In Ukraine, he is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader is planning to travel to several countries in the Gulf region after the Munich conference, the sources said. Spokespeople at the office of the Ukrainian President declined to comment.
Mr Kellogg will continue to engage allies to help fulfil Mr Trump’s promise to end the war, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.
Ukrainian bonds, which have been gaining in most of the last three months on speculation of an eventual movement towards peace, added to those gains on Feb 5.
Dollar notes due in 2035 and 2036 were trading at the strongest levels since they were issued in 2024.
Mr Kellogg has signalled that the US would like to see elections held in Ukraine after a ceasefire, while Mr Trump has indicated that access to critical minerals in return for US support could be part of a settlement.
The retired general on Feb 5 confirmed plans to attend the Munich gathering.
The US President has also threatened Moscow with massive sanctions if it does not engage in talks.
Ukraine’s top priority as an ultimate security guarantee is Nato membership, a prospect that Kyiv has acknowledged is unlikely in the short term.
Mr Zelensky said this week that he is open to elections
His top adviser, Mr Andriy Yermak, spoke to US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz this week, while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said contacts between US and Russian agencies were intensifying.
Both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky signalled that their previous refusal to talk to each other has softened as Mr Trump’s plan approaches.
In an interview late on Feb 4 with television host Piers Morgan, Mr Zelensky reiterated his readiness to talk to Mr Putin to end the war, in the presence of Ukraine’s partners.
The Ukrainian leader’s statement echoed remarks to Bloomberg News in January that he is ready to sit at the negotiating table with Russia alongside the US and EU. BLOOMBERG
