The Scoop
Russia-Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told US allies in recent meetings he is preparing options for ending the war in Ukraine to present to US President Donald Trump in several weeks, three Western officials familiar with the talks told Semafor.
Washington has been rife with speculation that the administration would present a plan imminently, although Kellogg denied reports he would do so at this week’s Munich Security Conference.
One European official summed up a meeting with Kellogg last week by saying “Trump harbors no illusions about Putin, he won’t be pushed around or be intimated by nuclear saber-rattling like Biden was.” The official added that Kellogg said there is plenty of room to tighten sanctions and that Europe will bear the brunt of the burden regarding Ukraine’s future security.
In another meeting, Kellogg said he is aiming to convene and coordinate with officials from every NATO country before a plan is finalized, a Western official said.
Meanwhile, Trump confirmed he has spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about ending the war. Asked by the New York Post how many times he and Putin have talked, Trump replied, “I’d better not say.”
— Morgan Chalfant contributed reporting.