Key points: Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg plans to leave his role as President Trump's special envoy to Ukraine in January, officials say. His departure comes as a new, controversial peace proposal—coordinated in part by Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev—emerges and reportedly calls for major concessions from Kyiv. Kellogg, a veteran national security official, has been connected to pivotal moments of the Trump era, including the July 2019 call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the events surrounding Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump Envoy Keith Kellogg to Leave as Controversial Ukraine Peace Plan Surfaces
Key points: Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg plans to leave his role as President Trump's special envoy to Ukraine in January, officials say. His departure comes as a new, controversial peace proposal—coordinated in part by Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev—emerges and reportedly calls for major concessions from Kyiv. Kellogg, a veteran national security official, has been connected to pivotal moments of the Trump era, including the July 2019 call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the events surrounding Jan. 6, 2021.
09:34 AM, 11/21/2025Politics
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg has informed the White House that he intends to leave his post as President Trump's special envoy on Ukraine in January, two senior administration officials said. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel matters publicly.
The announcement coincides with the emergence of a new peace proposal aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine. The initiative is reportedly being coordinated largely by Trump associate Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reports indicate the plan could require significant concessions from Kyiv, including territorial adjustments and limits on certain types of weaponry.
Officials would not comment on Kellogg's reasons for leaving. His expected departure was first reported by other outlets, and administration figures declined to provide further details.
Background and role
Kellogg was originally named special envoy for Ukraine and Russia during President Trump's transition, but his role narrowed after Witkoff, a real estate developer turned diplomatic interlocutor, took a more prominent position in talks with the Kremlin. Witkoff and Jared Kushner have also been involved in U.S.-led diplomacy that helped produce a fragile truce in the Israel-Hamas war.
A longtime figure in Trump’s orbit, Kellogg is a retired lieutenant general who served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, was chief of staff of the National Security Council and briefly acted as the president’s national security adviser after Michael Flynn’s resignation.
Past controversies
Kellogg was among the administration officials who listened to the July 2019 telephone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During that call, Trump pressed Zelenskyy to pursue investigations related to then-candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Kellogg later said the call did not raise concerns for him at the time; the exchange became central to the first House impeachment inquiry into the president. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate in both impeachment trials.
On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened to a heated conversation in which President Trump urged Vice President Pence to object to or delay Congress’s certification of the election results. In testimony to House investigators, Kellogg recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of, "You're not tough enough to make the call."
With Kellogg's exit expected in January, the White House's informal diplomatic channels and the handling of the proposed peace plan will likely remain a focus of scrutiny. Officials have not said who will replace Kellogg or how his responsibilities will be redistributed.