US set to unveil Trump plan to end Ukraine war

The blueprint is expected to be presented at the Munich Security Conference next week, days before the conflict hits the three-year mark

US President Donald Trump’s administration is expected 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 and Russia, Keith Kellogg, the people said 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 February 14-16 conference in the Bavarian city a week before Russia’s war hits the three-year mark. Kellogg and others have dropped hints in recent weeks of what Trump allies have referred to as “peace through strength”.

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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 cannot attack again.

Later this month, Kellogg is expected to make his first trip to Kyiv and elsewhere in the European Union, according to people familiar with the matter. In Ukraine, he is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader is planning to travel to several countries in the Gulf region after the Munich conference, the people said.

Keith Kellogg speaks during the Republican National Convention broadcast from Washington in August 2020. Photo: Republican National Convention via Reuters

Spokespeople at the office of the Ukrainian president declined to comment. General Kellogg would continue to engage allies to help fulfil Trump’s promise to end the war, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.

Kellogg has signalled that the US would like to see elections held in Ukraine after a ceasefire, while Trump has indicated that access to critical minerals in return for US support could be part of a settlement. The retired general on Wednesday confirmed plans to attend the Munich gathering.

The US president has also threatened Moscow with massive sanctions if it does not 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. Zelensky said this week that he is open to elections after the war ends – and once martial law is lifted.

The Ukrainian president’s top adviser, Andriy Yermak, spoke to US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz this week, while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said that contacts between US and Russian agencies were intensifying.

Both Putin and Zelensky signalled that their previous refusal to talk to each other has softened as Trump’s plan approaches. In an interview late on Tuesday with television host Piers Morgan, Zelensky reiterated his readiness to talk to Putin to end the war, in the presence of Ukraine’s partners.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.