On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, is focused on facilitating a rapid resolution to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to a source from President Zelensky’s office, Kellogg is set to arrive on February 20.

Kellogg indicated that Trump is prepared to intensify sanctions on Russia to expedite an end to the Kremlin’s military actions in Ukraine.

He noted that the current pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin is only a “three” on a scale of one to ten regarding its economic impact. “We could significantly escalate the sanctions, especially those that have recently been introduced,” Kellogg mentioned, as reported by the New York Post.

These assertive tactics mark a defining characteristic of the 47th presidential administration thus far. In his initial weeks in office, Trump has not only pursued personal grievances against agencies investigating his prior administration’s actions but has also enacted considerable tariffs on various nations as part of his “America First” approach, despite experts warning of potential negative repercussions for the U.S. economy.

Kellogg criticized President Joe Biden’s passive approach, stating that the current policy of supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes” lacks urgency and fails to utilize all available pressure tactics. He recently met with Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, for their first discussion.

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As reported by global news outlet Semafor: “Washington is buzzing with anticipation that a plan from the administration could be imminent.” However, Kellogg dismissed the idea of unveiling any such strategy at the upcoming Munich conference.

In parallel, Zelensky is set to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday during the Munich Security Conference, where their agenda will focus on finding a resolution to the ongoing conflict with Russia.

In his nightly address on Monday, Zelensky reiterated:

“It is essential for all of us to collaborate in achieving genuine peace and providing effective security guarantees: safeguarding our citizens, our nation, our economic partnerships, and, crucially, our resource resilience—not just for Ukraine, but for the entire free world.”

We are preparing for negotiations with our partners—both European and American—starting midweek. This includes the Ramstein meeting, discussions in Kyiv, and later, participation in the Munich Security Conference.

It is crucial that we all work together to bring about real peace… pic.twitter.com/aQADfkwLpW

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 10, 2025

In an interview last week with the conservative outlet Newsmax, Kellogg asserted that only his newly appointed leader has the capability to bring a conclusion to the conflict in Ukraine.

“The individual capable of achieving this is none other than Donald J. Trump,” the envoy declared.

President Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Gen. Keith Kellogg joined “Rob Schmitt Tonight” to describe next steps in the administration’s plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The only guy that can do that in the world, and bring this to a conclusion, is Donald J.… pic.twitter.com/7EkUzN9ySe

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 6, 2025