Donald Trump has pushed back his deadline for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, despite promising to end the conflict within “24 hours” of taking office.
The newly elected US president now aims to end the war against Ukraine within 100 days of his inauguration, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s chosen special peace envoy to Ukraine, told Fox News on Wednesday.
“This is a war that has to end, and I think it can do that in short order,” Kellogg, 80, added, defining “in short order” as a little more than 14 weeks after the inauguration.
The comments come just a day after Trump revealed during a press conference that he would not start peace talks until he takes power on January 20.
This is despite the fact that he repeatedly promised during his campaign to end the war as soon as he was elected.
“People need to understand that he’s not trying to give anything to Putin or the Russians, he’s actually trying to save Ukraine and their sovereignty,” Kellogg said.
“And he’s going to make sure it’s fair and just.”
The US diplomat praised the newly elected president for his willingness to meet Vladimir Putin and said outgoing President Joe Biden’s “biggest mistake” was his refusal to work with the Russian president.
Donald Trump promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within ’24 hours’ of becoming president, but this has now changed to 100 days
Shortly after his triumph, Trump spoke to Zelensky by phone – a conversation that the Ukrainian leader characterized as “excellent”
An explosion from a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine, January 10, 2025
Britain, France and Germany have already pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as necessary” and Zelensky is firmly against ceding territory to Vladimir Putin.
Kellogg assured that Trump would seek a solution to end the conflict that would work for both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
‘I think they will find a solvable solution in the short term. … Let’s put it at 100 days,” he said.
Kellogg did not elaborate on discussing details of any peace deals that may be considered by the new administration.
After Trump’s election victory, many wondered what direction the Trump administration might take.
Shortly after his triumph, Trump spoke to Zelensky by phone – a conversation that the Ukrainian leader characterized as “excellent.”
But in September, Republican running mate and now Vice President-elect JD Vance offered former US Navy Seal Shawn Ryan an outline of how to build peace in Ukraine under Trump.
“What it probably looks like is that the current demarcation line between Russia and Ukraine becomes a demilitarized zone, heavily fortified, so that the Russians don’t invade again,” Vance told the former Seal on his podcast.
“Ukraine remains an independent sovereign. Russia receives a neutrality guarantee from Ukraine.
‘It does not join NATO and some other allied institutions. Germans and other countries must finance the reconstruction of Ukraine,” Vance added.
That telling, if vague, description of what a Trump-negotiated end to the war in Ukraine might look like was then repeated in a Wall Street Journal report published days after the election.
Citing three sources “close to the president-elect,” the WSJ claimed that Trump’s transition office is considering a proposal that would bar Kiev from joining NATO for at least 20 years in exchange for lucrative arms deals.
Keith Kellogg praised the president-elect for his willingness to meet with Vladimir Putin and said outgoing President Joe Biden’s “biggest mistake” was his refusal to work with the Russian president.
Local people walk near damaged cars at the site where drone debris falls on a residential building, in Kiev, Ukraine, January 10, 2025
In the meantime, the conflict would be halted by the implementation of a large demilitarized zone (DMZ) that would effectively freeze fighting and force Kiev to cede up to 20 percent of its territory as part of a 1,300-mile DMZ. ‘.
But the sources offered no insight into how such a buffer zone between the Russian border and unoccupied Ukraine would be controlled or managed, other than to say it would not be manned by U.S. peacekeepers.
This suggested that troops from other NATO countries, including Britain, would be tasked with manning the DMZ.
“We can provide training and other support, but the barrel of the gun will be European… and we won’t pay for it,” one source said.
“We are not sending American men and women to maintain peace in Ukraine… Let the Poles, Germans, British and French do that.”
But several obstacles must be overcome before the conflict can be frozen and a ceasefire implemented – starting with the apparent lack of enthusiasm from those expected to accept and support the proposal.
Days before Trump secured his election victory, Zelensky openly declared that making concessions to Putin would be “unacceptable for Ukraine” and “suicidal for Europe.”
Moreover, Zelensky’s main European partners Britain, France and Germany have already pledged to support Ukraine’s armed forces in their fight against Moscow’s forces “for as long as necessary.”