Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Donald Trump in New York on Sept. 27, 2024. (Facebook/Embassy of Ukraine in the USA)
U.S. 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 presented to allies by Trump’s special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They declined to say how detailed they expected the discussions to be or what format they would take.
The proposal would be delivered at the Feb. 14-16 conference in the Bavarian city a week before Russia’s war hits the three-year mark. Reports and comments from Kellogg and others in recent weeks have provided hints of the plan to seek what Trump 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 can’t attack again.
Kellogg has signaled that the U.S. would like to see elections held in Ukraine after a ceasefire, while Trump has indicated that access to critical minerals in return for U.S. support could be part of a settlement. The retired general on Wednesday confirmed plans to attend the Munich gathering.
“I’ll meet with America’s allies who are ready to work with us,” Kellogg said in a post on social-media platform X.
Trump has also threatened Moscow with massive sanctions if it doesn’t 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. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week that he’s open to elections after the war ends — and once martial law is lifted.
The Ukrainian president’s top adviser, Andriy Yermak, spoke to U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz this week, while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said that contacts between U.S. and Russian agencies were intensifying.
