President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine should work directly with US President-elect Donald Trump because there are "different voices" in his circles.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Sky News; European Pravda reports
Details: When asked about his opinion on Trump, Zelenskyy said that "we have to work with the new president" of the United States in order to "have the biggest supporter".
"I want to work with him directly because there are different voices from people around him. And that's why we need not to [allow] anybody around to destroy our communication," the Ukrainian president added.
Zelenskyy said he wanted to share his ideas with Trump and to hear him out in turn.
Zelenskyy noted that he had already met with the then-US presidential candidate in New York, and their conversation "was very warm, good, constructive".
"It was a very good meeting and it was an important first step – now we have to prepare some meetings," he said.
Background:
Earlier, Zelenskyy acknowledged that the war may "end faster" under Trump's presidency.
He also said that he expects to see Donald Trump's proposals for ending the war in Ukraine shortly after the start of his term.
In Botswana, the cause of the mysterious death of more than 350 elephants in 2020 was discovered. The study showed that the animals died due to toxic cyanobacteria in watering holes, which is associated with climate change.
More than 350 elephants that died under mysterious circumstances are likely drinking toxic water, according to a new article warning of a "worrying trend" in climate-related poisoning. This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
According to scientists, elephants of different ages walked in circles before falling and dying. The carcasses were first spotted in northeastern Botswana in May and June 2020, and many theories have been put forward about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease.
According to lead researcher David Lomeo, a graduate student in geography at King's College London, the incident was the largest recorded elephant death, the cause of which is unknown.
A new paper published in the journal Science Of The Total Environment suggests that elephants were poisoned with water containing toxic flowers of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. The climate crisis increases the intensity and severity of harmful algae blooms.
The researchers used satellite data to analyze the distribution of corpses relative to watering holes. The team estimates that elephants typically walked just over 100 km from watering holes and died within 88 hours of drinking. In total, they examined 3,000 watering holes and found that those with increased cyanobacteria blooms in 2020 had a high concentration of corpses.
They have no choice but to drink from them,
– said the researcher.
Other animals may have died from drinking from watering holes, but the bodies may not have been detected during aerial photography, and smaller corpses may have already been taken away by predators.
The researchers also said that globally, the event highlights an alarming trend of sudden climate-related illnesses.
This study provides a compelling explanation for the massive elephant deaths that rocked the world in 2020. This adds to a growing body of evidence that climate change can have a number of deadly consequences for wildlife (as well as livestock and humans), from radically changing water availability to creating conditions for harmful bacteria and algae to breed and suppressing animal populations.,
"said Dr Niall McCann, who was not involved in the study and is director of conservation at the British charity National Park Rescue.
The researchers stressed that the study highlights the need for water quality control.
Despite economic dependence on tea: “green deserts” are being revived in southern IndiaNov 20 2024, 03:31 PM • 17802 views
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, most soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names or callsigns only. One soldier is mentioned by first and last name as he is permitted to use his full name with the press.
Ihor was glued to his computer past 1 a.m. playing “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” after the mega-hit video game was released on Nov. 20.
But unlike most of the estimated million and a half players around the world who downloaded the Ukrainian game in its first week, the young Ukrainian fighter was interrupted when he had to leave his glowing screen and camouflaged safe house for a nighttime combat mission.
“Many locations (in the game) are similar to real places where fighting took place. They spark memories,” he told the Kyiv Independent from the front lines.
“Burnt-out houses, abandoned factories or industrial facilities, abandoned buildings in general. Even just locations with fallen trees and scorched land.”
The long-awaited release of “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl” has been one of the biggest gaming events of the year. The game, developed by the Ukrainian company GSC Game World, quickly shot up to the top spot of global video game sales, with players of the post-apocalyptic first-person shooter game roaming a fictionalized Chornobyl exclusion zone with a weapon in their hand.
Nowhere has this cultural phenomenon been more pronounced than in Ukraine, where the game’s release was marked by congratulatory remarks in parliament, viral cross-promotion campaigns, and memes that the U.S. embassy’s closure that day due to a security threat was really so its employees could download “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.”
A screenshot from “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2,” the post-apocalyptic video game created by Ukrainian company GSC Game World released on Nov. 20. (GSC Game World)
But for members of the Ukrainian military, “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” is more than just a game — it’s a way to wind down from the stress of combat and a source of national pride.
Shooting enemies in a virtual Ukrainian landscape may seem like a surprising way for soldiers to relax, but “I always clearly understand where the game is and where it is not,” said Ihor.
“In these games, I do everything the same as in life, but without the fear of dying. It helps me accept traumatic experiences and realize that this is the past, and it needs to be let go.”
“You can’t feel the war through the monitor,” said Yevhen, a reconnaissance drone pilot in the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, who goes by the callsign “Teacher.” “The game helps me relax and take a break from everything around me.”
‘Dedicated to all who defended and are defending’
When the game was released, Yevhen was at a front-line position, excited to return to his base so he could download it.
“Several of my brothers-in-arms also bought the game. We only play at the base on rest days, not so much on combat missions,” the drone pilot said. “This game is our phenomenon, our pride.”
“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” is the fourth release in the cult-classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, produced by Ukraine’s most famous video game company GSC Game World.
The series is so popular among soldiers that many have chosen “Stalker” as their callsign, including four fighters who died in battle.
While the first three games in the series have already been played by millions, “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” took on deeper significance after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
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Just ahead of an expected April 2022 release date, the new game was delayed indefinitely as GSC Game World employees suddenly faced displacement, Russian attacks, and blackouts. Some employees joined the Armed Forces, including Volodymyr Yezhov, a developer on the earlier S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games who was killed during the Battle of Bakhmut in Dec. 2022.
From a new office in Prague, the game’s creators had to build new motion capture and audio recording studios from scratch and restart their voiceover recording with new actors.
They changed the game’s name to use the Ukrainian spelling of Chornobyl rather than the Russian version, “Chernobyl.” They also removed Russian voiceovers and have refused to sell the game in Russia, sparking Russian threats and frequent hacking attempts.
Now, the game opens with a message from its creators, dedicating it “to all who have defended and are defending Ukraine. To everyone who made today possible. Eternal memory to all who have been taken by this war.”
‘In S.T.A.L.K.E.R., there aren’t mortar or artillery shells. Or drones’
But gaming at the frontline isn’t always easy, and the powerful hardware needed to run “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” can place it out of reach for soldiers packing light.
One fighter in the 102nd Territorial Defense Brigade who uses the callsign “Shtopor” (“Corkscrew”) describes himself as a “huge fan” of the series — he played the first three games several times as a kid, and even his ringtone is from the franchise.
In more peaceful times, when the game was scheduled to come out in April 2022, Shtopor paid for a brand-new PC on credit so that he’d be able to play the game. Instead, a month later, he was serving in the military carrying a laptop too weak to run the software.
“By coincidence, I even ended up with the same weapon as the main hero at the start of the game” in his favorite part in the series: an AK-74U.
The protagonist wields a weapon in a screenshot from "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2," set in a fictionalized Chornobyl exclusion zone. (GSC Game World)A photo of the AK-74U owned by callsign "Corkscrew" matches the weapon used by the protagonist in one of the earlier S.T.A.L.K.E.R. releases (Corkscrew's personal archive)
He hopes to try the new game when taking leave next March for his fiancee's birthday.
Still, “the experience of the game is unlikely to help in real life,” he noted from his position in Zaporizhzhia. “In S.T.A.L.K.E.R., there aren’t mortar or artillery shells. Or drones, either.”
Shtopor isn’t the only fighter who bought a new computer for this game. “Gringo,” an anti-tank specialist in the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, bought his gaming laptop’s most powerful model ahead of the new “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” release.
With his brigade currently recovering near Kherson, he said he spends “nearly all” of his free time gaming. Some in his brigade who don’t have the right equipment will often watch highlight reels of clips from the game on TikTok, he added.
“The weapons in my hands behave very much like the weapons in the game. They perfectly conveyed the most realistic shooting,” he said, echoing comments from other fighters.
Like others who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, he also pointed out the frequent bugs in the game, an issue raised in most early reviews of the release.
But the bugs were beside the point, many said. One fighter even noted that he and his friends jokingly compare glitches they discover. Glitches — a common complaint during new video game releases — are usually fixed with downloadable patches as developers update games. GSC Game World recently released a patch incorporating player feedback.
‘I see this pain in every pixel’
One thing that strikes most players of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is how much care its creators have taken to infuse the game with Ukrainian details — from a soundtrack containing hours of contemporary Ukrainian music to small accents like the blue-and-yellow matchboxes recognizable in most Ukrainian households and made by the Ukrainian Match Factory.
Mykyta Poturaiev, chair of parliament’s Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee, said that “in the modern world, computer games are a very powerful tool for conveying information about oneself and one’s country.”
When it became clear that the game had caused real international resonance, he helped organize a “spontaneous” celebration of the game during a plenary meeting in parliament the next day.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. release celebration during a plenary meeting in parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine on Nov. 21, 2024. (Goreniuk Oleksandr / Facebook)
“This is a very powerful message to the world — that Ukraine and Ukrainians, even during such deadly struggles, do not give up. They are able to produce world-class products,” Poturaiev said.
Petro Shuklinov remembers the 2007 first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game as “legendary” when he was growing up.
In Kyiv, where the former war correspondent and active service member is now, he downloaded the newest release as soon as it came out.
Shuklinov said part of what makes the game so meaningful to fighters is that it reminds them of their childhood: “As we keep this child within ourselves in our memories, our struggle makes sense.”
“And how much Ukrainian pain (the game) holds! No one will see this pain,” he added. “Unless they hear it on the radio in the game, where our songs are played.”
“But I see this pain in every pixel. For some, it's just a game,” said Shuklinov. “But for me, it's a manifesto: we are here, we are alive, we continue to fight.”
A delegation from 14 Latin American countries arrived in Kyiv to participate in the Parliamentary Conference. Zelensky discussed with representatives issues of cooperation, the formula for peace and the return of deported children.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with parliamentarians and diplomats from Latin America in Kiev. The parties discussed a number of issues, including deepening cooperation in the defense of Ukraine. This is stated on the president's website, writes UNN.
We want state borders to be respected. Absolutely. So that this is the rule for Ukraine and for other nations of the world. So that each nation can choose its own future – without compulsion. Without coercion by war, or by political coercion, or by economic coercion of any other country. And so that no one in the world can arrange deportations, so that no one can steal the children of some other people, as Russia does against the Ukrainians,
– stated in the statement of the president.
The meeting with the president of Ukraine was attended by parliamentarians and diplomats from Latin American countries. According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs the support of the world to solve and correct everything that was done by this war.
Representatives of Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica arrived in Kyiv to participate in the Parliamentary Conference "Ukraine-Latin American and Caribbean states: cooperation for the future".
The president informed the diplomats about the formula for peace, which fully complies with the UN Charter, and the results of the first Peace Summit. During the meeting, the parties also discussed in detail the prospects for cooperation in the defense of Ukraine.
"We are a group of your friends. We have come to tell you that Latin America is a friendly land for you. Our people, our people are with you," the representatives of the delegation assured.
Unfortunately, Russia rejects both the formula for peace and all other proposals, any proposals that are based on the UN Charter. They reject and will reject because they do not respect the UN Charter, do not recognize it. They recognize it only in words,
– Zelensky noted.
The Ukrainian president added that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin believes "in war, in his missiles.
But we need to force Russia to a fair peace,
Zelensky stressed.
The OP also informed that during the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the prospects for cooperation in the defense of Ukraine and relations with Latin American countries.
Zelensky called on representatives of states to join the peace process, cooperate "for the return of illegally deported Ukrainian children, in matters of food security and help Ukraine recover from the shelling.
In addition, the president outlined exactly how Ukraine and Latin America can deepen cooperation, in particular in economic, technological and educational areas.
The OP added that representatives of the delegation "assured of further support for Ukraine from Latin America.
Secretary General of the Organization of American States: Ukraine-Latin America Summit should cover issues of international peaceApr 15 2024, 10:37 AM • 16158 views
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday, 29 November, that he had a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Source: Zelensky in his evening address; European Pravda reports
Details: The president noted that during the conversation, he thanked Norway for increasing its support for Ukraine for the next year and discussed "joint actions for the near future".
"We will expand our cooperation in arms production in Ukraine and in efforts to protect our energy sector," he said.
The president also noted that he and the Norwegian prime minister "discussed cooperation with Norway in the field of air defence".
Background:
Earlier, the Norwegian parliament voted to increase support for Ukraine to NOK 35 billion (about US$3.16 billion) in 2025.
Last year, Norway approved the NOK 75 billion (about US$6.8 billion) Nansen long-term support programme, which provides Ukraine with NOK 15 billion (about US$1.36 billion) annually until 2027.
However, this year, the country's authorities proposed to increase funding for the programme to 135 billion euros and extend it for another three years, until 2030.
VAR provided more confusion in Southampton’s draw at Brighton and left us begging for semi-automated offsides to come to the Premier League.
Cameron Archer’s goal and Southampton limbs in the Brighton away end were all for nothing because Adam Armstrong was offside from Ryan Fraser’s cross and was ‘deemed to be impacting Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s ability to play the ball’. There is a reason the Premier League Match Centre X account does not allow comments on their posts. What a load of s**t.
Four minutes and 27 seconds it took for the offside to be decided by those at Stockley Park. At that point, the nothing phrase ‘clear and obvious’ simply goes out of the window. Injured Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was not happy, posting on social media: ‘You can not be serious’.
The wait benefits literally nobody and the more time ticks on, the more sweat drips from the poor and inept official responsible for drawing those pesky lines.
Semi-automated offsides can not come soon enough and should help turn the tide with more people against VAR now than when it was first introduced in 2019. Games will flow better, fans and players won’t have to anxiously wait for the outcome of sometimes blatant offside decisions for several minutes. It will be a blessing for the Premier League just as it has been for the Champions League.
The delaying of its introduction is very frustrating and is only turning more people against VAR – which the Premier League will never get rid of. They are dying on this hill.
Semi-automated offsides will take away the most scrutinised aspect of VAR, making life smoother for the officials, players and fans. Offside will become the black and white rule it is designed to be. We need it and we need it now.
Anyway, the VAR narrative is tiring at this stage. A football match took place and lots of things happened. Let’s move on to Tyler Dibling. We are in awe.
The boy is special, giving Kaoru Mitoma his latest lesson in dribbling. He thought learning more of the literal ins and outs were beneath him but that was a masterclass from the Southampton teenager, who is the latest to break onto the scene from the Saints highly-reputable youth academy.
Dibling has been a shining light in a miserable campaign for Southampton, making a name for himself by winning a penalty against Manchester United and kicking on from there after people started to notice him. He won another penalty against ‘Big Six’ opposition in Liverpool on Sunday and probably had his best performance of the season against Brighton on Friday.
👉 Big Weekend: Liverpool v Man City, Aston Villa, Odegaard, Dawson, Yorkshire, Der Klassiker
His tantalising display was not enough to inspire his side’s first away win of the season but he is getting better each game and will be the reason Southampton are not considered dead and buried by Christmas, if they get a few big results in December.
If the opening 13 matches are anything to go by, Southampton will go down but Dibling won’t be going down with them.
There are some rumours that the 18-year-old gets homesick, which is why his time at Chelsea lasted from July 2022 to September 2022. It was probably for the best anyway and there is no doubt in our minds that the Blues will go for him again at the end of the season.
Dibling’s ability to get out of tight spaces, carry the ball, nutmeg his humiliated opponents and push the Saints up the pitch is remarkable for a player of his experience. He is playing with the lack of fear characteristic of a low-socked teenager and we do not want that to change.
Southampton have a very clear philosophy centred on patience and keeping the ball but criticised manager Russell Martin has allowed Dibling to express himself. The minute a flair player has tactical shackles on him is when the game is not worth watching.
For all of the 18-year-old’s hard work, Southampton remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, which was the only possible outcome having come to the Amex with four points, half the amount 19th have.
These teams need an X-factor in attack to survive, like Leeds United had with Raphinha and Wolves now have with Matheus Cunha. Dibling might not be on that level yet and the supporting cast might be a level below Leeds and Wolves’, but he gives them a fighting chance and will put smiles on faces at St Mary’s even when their annual 9-0 defeat arrives.
Brighton, meanwhile, did not create enough in front of goal. They had a great opportunity Yukinari Sugawara lost possession on the edge of his box with goalkeeper Joe Lumley out of position. Thankfully for the visitors, Mitoma took it on early and shot wide.
There was not enough creativity on a night most people expected to be comfortable but these dropped points will go under the radar because of one big negative in VAR and one glowing positive in Tyler Dibling.
The National Guard of Ukraine should join all the services of the Army+ app in December. This will apply, in particular, to the possibility of transferring military personnel.
In December, the National Guard of Ukraine should join all Army+ Services. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in the evening address, reports UNN.
"The Ministry of defense of Ukraine continues to develop our Army+ app, and in December the National Guard of Ukraine should join all Army+ Services. In particular, this applies to transfers," Zelensky said.
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the Ministry of Defense and the general to develop the possibility of transferring military personnel through the "Army+" application to all defense and security forces, in particular to the National Guard of Ukraine and the Border Guard service.
In Tbilisi, clashes between police and protesters near the parliament continue, 43 people were detained. Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili joined the protesters and called on the security forces to refrain from dispersing.
During the dispersal of a protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, 32 security forces were injured. The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the detention of 43 people under administrative articles, as well as the initiation of criminal cases under the articles "attack on a police officer" and "damage or destruction of property". This is reported by echo of the Caucasus, reports UNN.
Details
The situation near the Georgian parliament building, where thousands of anti-government rallies are taking place, has worsened. Clashes continue at the entrances to the parliament from the Zubalashvili brothers and April 9 streets.
The police used special equipment against the demonstrators, in particular, water cannons.
Earlier, protesters and police threw bottles, stones and other objects at each other.
Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili joined the protesters today. She thanked the police for doing "everything possible." And she called on "other" units of the Ministry of internal affairs to refrain from dispersing the protesters.
Nothing like this is happening — neither in Rustaveli, nor in other cities of Georgia, so that it requires your involvement and dispersal. All responsibility for this lies with you and your superiors, who should think about it.",
– declared Zurabishvili
According to local media, last night's scenario is currently being repeated in Georgia, but today there are many more people on Rustaveli Avenue.
Some of the protesters are trying to hide in the Kashvet church.
Some protesters use garbage cans as shields, while others lie down on the ground to stop the advance of special equipment. Something is burning in different locations.
recall
Spontaneous protests began in Tbilisi and other cities of Georgia after the prime minister announced his refusal to negotiate EU membership until 2028. Protesters blocked Rustaveli Avenue, and the authorities are pulling together security forces and water cannons.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 27 decision to choose Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia is not ideal for Kyiv but is an acceptable and reasonable choice for Ukraine, analysts say.
Kellogg has co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine, take NATO's accession off the table for an extended period, and partially lift sanctions imposed on Russia.
At the same time, Kellogg has stated that Ukraine should negotiate from a position of strength.
According to his proposals, the U.S. will continue sending military aid to Ukraine and provide security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian aggression. The plan does not stipulate a reduction in the Ukrainian army's size or recognizing occupied territories as Russian de jure.
"There will be no (outright) pro-Ukrainian appointments (under Trump)," Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told the Kyiv Independent. "But it's good if an appointee is not anti-Ukrainian."
He argued that Kellogg is not anti-Ukrainian and that he is an experienced and competent professional.
In contrast with Kellogg, Trump's nomination of Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary was met with unease in Kyiv.
"From this standpoint, if you compare (Kellogg) with others, he's absolutely acceptable for Ukraine," Fesenko added. "His position is understandable (for Kyiv), and we can adapt to it."
Kellogg is a retired lieutenant general who served in the Vietnam War and the Gulf War and was the chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.
During Trump's first presidency, Kellogg was the chief of staff of the National Security Council from 2017 to 2018 and national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence from 2018 to 2021.
"General Kellogg is very devoted to President Trump, having been with him in all three campaigns plus his time in office, but in my experience, he is a serious guy," Michael O'Hanlon, director of research in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, told the Kyiv Independent.
"General Kellogg is very devoted to President Trump, having been with him in all three campaigns plus his time in office."
Daniel Hamilton, another foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution, also described Kellogg as "an experienced military leader" and "a strong supporter of President Trump."
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Keith Kellogg (R) after announcing him as chief of staff to national security adviser US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, US on Feb. 20, 2017. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP via Getty Images)
"Kellogg is close to the president, which is a prerequisite for an effective special envoy. He's also considered to be thoughtful and measured … and is obviously experienced," Peter Rough, director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the conservative Hudson Institute, told the Kyiv Independent.
Charly Salonius-Pasternak, lead researcher at the Center on U.S. Politics and Power at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said "it's important that any such envoy has 'the ear' of the president and conversely is seen to genuinely represent/speak for Trump."
"In making deals, that's almost more important than any previous policy position Kellogg has had because people can then to some degree trust that what he says will also hold with Trump," he told the Kyiv Independent.
Kellogg co-chairs the Center on American Security at the America First Policy Institute.
In May, Kellogg and another Trump advisor, Frederick Fleitz, co-authored a report called An America First Approach to U.S. National Security for the America First Policy Institute. Among other things, the report presents their vision for a peace settlement in Ukraine.
In June, Reuters reported that Kellogg and Fleitz had proposed to Trump a plan that would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.
Hamilton argued that "Kellogg is essentially coming in (to Ukraine) to implement his proposal."
"As someone who has helped draft a proposal for seeking a diplomatic end to the war, Kellogg is poised to push hard to fulfill Trump's pledge to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table," Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Kyiv Independent. "I expect a determined diplomatic effort to bring the war to an end very early in Trump's presidency."
Kellogg's plan, as outlined in his report, envisages freezing the current front line in Ukraine. According to the plan, Ukraine's NATO accession would be taken off the table for "an extended period."
The strategy includes partially lifting the Western sanctions on Russia to encourage the Kremlin to take steps toward peace.
"If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000–250,000," Kellogg told the Voice of America in July. "Demographically, what does that do to the country?"
The paper by Kellogg and Fleitz also repeatedly referenced the unsubstantiated theory that NATO expansion triggered Russia's full-scale invasion, which Trump also mentioned in an interview in June.
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On the upside, Kellogg's plan envisages levies on Russian energy imports to fund Ukraine's reconstruction.
According to his strategy, Ukraine will not be asked to give up its ambition to regain all land seized by Russia, but Kyiv should agree to use diplomatic means only and realize that it might take a long time to regain all the territories.
The strategy also calls for "a comprehensive and verifiable peace deal with security guarantees."
The plan stipulates that, if Ukraine agrees to peace talks, the U.S. would continue sending military aid to Ukraine to deter Russia from attacking it. On the other hand, the U.S. would increase its military support for Ukraine if Russia refuses to accept a peace deal.
Kellogg has also made a number of statements that appear to favor Ukraine.
"We've said very clearly in our paper that Ukraine has fought valiantly," he told the Voice of America. "They are very well led. We think the Russians did clearly an unwarranted invasion of a sovereign state, and this must be addressed."
Kellogg also said that "you want to make sure that Ukrainians are not put at the position when they're operating from weaknesses, but from strength."
"you want to make sure that Ukrainians are not put at the position when they're operating from weaknesses, but from strength."
"Nobody is ever saying that: 'Oh, we just have to make Ukrainians give up land and give it to Russia,'" he continued.
"If the West had provided the equipment that (President Volodymyr) Zelensky asked for, then you probably could have finished the job. You could have gotten into the Sea of Azov through Kherson, splitting them in half, and that is what you wanted to do. So, I blame (U.S. President Joe Biden's) administration and the West to a degree for not supporting Ukraine when they should have," Kellogg said.
Crew members of the 56th motorized brigade fires a mortar at Russian positions near the occupied Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Feb. 2, 2024. (Dmytro Larin /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
He lambasted the Biden administration for failing to provide F-16 fighters, tanks, and long-range weapons quickly enough and in sufficient quantities and to allow Ukraine to "shoot deep into Russia."
"You have to give more arms to them because you can't trust the Russians," Kellogg said. "Sometimes you have to look at what we call in America the long game. And that is security guarantees, financial support, and military support."
To guarantee Ukraine's security, he suggested concluding a "defense agreement" with Kyiv similar to the U.S. accords with South Korea and Taiwan.
Kellogg also said that Russia's demand for Ukraine's demilitarization and a reduction in the size of its army was "unacceptable."
The Ukrainian authorities reacted positively to Kellogg's nomination.
"Keith Kellogg is not a new person for Ukraine. The Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S. has maintained close ties with him, particularly within the framework of expert diplomacy in recent years, and has developed and maintained a good dialogue with him during this time," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Nov. 28.
Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Kyiv Independent that Kellogg "should recognize the only way to have successful negotiations is to make Ukraine as strong as possible — peace through strength."
"That means continuing aid and getting Congress to pass another assistance package," he added.
"(Kellogg) seems like a reasonable choice," Roland Paris, professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa and a research associate at Chatham House, told the Kyiv Independent. "He has emphasized the importance of Ukraine negotiating from a position of strength, he seems to understand the threat that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin poses, and he has underscored the importance of providing Ukraine with ironclad U.S. security guarantees, along the lines of the U.S. commitment to South Korea, following any eventual peace negotiation."
Hamilton said Kellogg is "an experienced military professional, not a loose cannon."
"This means the exact nature of U.S. pressure, or the contours of any ceasefire, may evolve," he added.
O'Hanlon said that he was "more hopeful by this choice than" he would have been if it had been Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany, who was reportedly among the candidates for the job. He said he hopes Kellogg will help Ukraine to achieve peace from a position of strength.
Fesenko agreed, saying that "Grenell is more radical and more inclined to apply strong pressure (to Ukraine)," while "Kellogg is more pragmatic."
Keith Kellogg, former national security advisor, during the America First Policy Institute's America First Agenda summit in Washington, D.C., US, on July 25, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Reuters reported on Nov. 22 that Trump was considering appointing Grenell as his special envoy for Ukraine.
Grenell, who served as the acting director of national intelligence during Trump's first term, is seen as an isolationist and supporter of reducing military aid to Ukraine.
Back in 2022, Grenell said he "applauded" billionaire Elon Musk's peace proposal but added that he would like a "stronger (peace) deal." Musk prompted a scandal the same year by suggesting a peace plan that included Ukraine's neutral status, recognizing Crimea as Russian, and holding a UN-supervised vote on the status of other occupied territories.
In July 2024, Grenell also proposed creating "autonomous zones" in Ukraine as part of a peace deal with Russia. He did not elaborate but the statement was an apparent reference to autonomous zones in the Russian-occupied territories.
Even if Kellogg pushes for a pro-Ukrainian peace deal, it is unclear whether Trump will back him.
Fleitz said in July that Trump had reacted positively to the peace proposal by him and Kellogg but said he was not claiming that Trump agreed with every word of it.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung emphasized then that only statements from Trump or his campaign should be taken as official policy positions.
"It is Trump, not Kellogg, who will make decisions," Fesenko said. "Kellogg is just an instrument."
"And will Putin agree (to Kellogg's proposals)? I doubt it."
There were 172 military clashes at the front, most of them in the Pokrovsky and Kurakhovsky directions. The invaders lost 497 soldiers, destroyed 4 armored vehicles, an artillery system and 12 vehicles.
The situation in the Pokrovsky, Kurakhovsky and Vremovsky directions remains tense – the enemy is concentrating its main offensive efforts there. In addition, the invaders are now actively attacking in the Limansky and Kupyansky directions. This is stated in the summary of the General Staff as of 22.00 29.11.2024, reports UNN.
To date, there have been 172 military clashes. Today, the terrorist state launched a missile strike with one missile, 31 airstrikes, while dropping 53 kab. in addition, the invaders used 581 kamikaze drones for strikes and carried out more than 3,000 attacks on the positions of our troops and settlements,
– the message says.
In the Kharkiv direction, Russian terrorists stormed the positions of our units five times in the areas of Kudievka, Volchansk and Tikhy. Two clashes continue.
Seven times the enemy attacked our positions in Kupyansky direction. Near Kolesnikovka, Lozovaya, Pervomaisky and Zeleny Gai, units of the defense forces repelled all enemy attacks.
In the Limansky direction today, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian defenders 20 times in the areas of Grekovka, Novoegorovka, Ternov, Yampolovka, Dubrava, Torsky, Zarechny, Grigorovka and in the Serebryansky forest. Our soldiers repelled 18 enemy attacks, two clashes continue.
In the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three attempts by the invaders to seize our positions in the area of Chasovy Yar and in the direction of Belaya Gora.
In the Toretsk direction, the invaders twice tried to move forward in the Druzhby and Toretsk areas, and were rebuffed.
In the Pokrovsky direction during these days, the aggressor attacked our positions 34 times in the areas of the settlements of Mirolyubovka, Luch, Lisovka, Dachenskoye, Chumatsky, Novy Trud and yellow. Ten clashes continue to this day.
At the same time, the losses of the occupiers, according to available information at present, amounted to 497 people killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles, an artillery system, three UAV control points and 12 units of enemy vehicles were destroyed, as well as two cars and two artillery systems were damaged by our defenders.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the invaders made 43 attempts to move forward at this time of day. 11 attacks continue. Most of the fighting continues near Solntsevka, Berestkov, Novodmitrovka, Zarya, Kurakhovo, Dachny, Dalny, Elizavetovka, Annovka and Uspenovka.
In the Vremovsky direction, where today the aggressor stormed the front line of our defense 24 times in the area of Veselogo Gai, Konstantinopolsky, Sukhoi Yaly, Razdolny and Novodarovka, three clashes are currently underway.
In the Dnieper direction, the enemy made three unsuccessful attempts to storm the positions of Ukrainian units.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct operations in the Kursk direction. Today, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 22 attacks of the invading army in this direction,
– reported in the General Staff.
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The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta
