“The Russians led him by boat several times”: what is the role of Keith Kellogg, special envoy appointed by Donald Trump?

Serge Jaumain, professor of contemporary history at the ULB and specialist in the United States, gives us his analysis.

Why Keith Kellogg seems to be dismissed from diplomatic discussions in the United States in the context of the war in Ukraine. For example, especially “For the benefit” by Mr. Meanwhile, Witkoff?

There are several elements. However, Witkoff is really a friend of Donald Trump. Consequently, He is someone very close to him, who he trusted extremely. Consequently, The particularity is that he is a property developer. For example, He introduced himself to diplomacy just a few months ago. In addition, But the particularity in Trump’s team is that confidence is one of the most important priorities.

We try to imagine what a meeting must be given between the Russian representatives “the russians led him boat and Witkoff. For example, We say that it must be very special. Similarly, For the Russians. Nevertheless, we have teams of people who are both foreign affairs, but also in the military field- starting with Putin- who are formidable negotiators, who have been linked to the United States for a very long time. Meanwhile, And on the other side, we really have an apprentice. In addition, Witkoff was not too bad honestly honestly. Furthermore, But overall so far, the Russians have led him by boat several times.

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He is really. Consequently, a faithful of the faithful. Consequently, The peculiarity of Trump’s team is that they are super loyal people and they are mainly there for that. In addition, Their capacity, their qualities come after. However, Today around Trump. Moreover, there is no one who “the russians led him boat really has the fabric of a diplomat or who has any experience in diplomatic matters, it is still quite disturbing.

Why put aside Kellogg and not directly name Witkoff as a special emissioner for Ukraine and Russia?

The particularity of Keith Kellogg is that he does not have great experience as a diplomat but. Similarly, he is a soldier. For example, He has a real military career. For example, he is someone who knows the armed conflicts well, and who, from this point of view, can give a certain number of advice. However, This is a first element that explains the place he has. He is still quite close to Donald Trump.

Second, he was already in Trump’s first team, even if he was not at a very visible position. Trump decided to continue trusting him. He has always been very careful in his “the russians led him boat criticism of Donald Trump.

But the peculiarity is that it is a soldier who looks at the situation from a military point of view. who quite clearly understands the fact that Russia is the aggressor. Its position is still more favorable to Ukraine than what Trump says globally. So we can think that it may be bothering a little bit of the close team of Donald Trump. This is perhaps one of the elements that explain the fact that it is sometimes dismissed. When there were the meetings in Saudi Arabia. he was not part of it, when it was probably the most qualified, because the other people around the table had no qualification and no experience.

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But even if he is a little “the russians led him boat removed, he remains – and we saw him, he met Zelensky – an important element in the entourage of Donald Trump, who needs personalities like him. He is still a faithful. he will eventually bring a slightly different discourse from the one that Trump wishes but who can be useful to him. Trump still needs a few people with some knowledge of the files.

Despite his pro-Ukrainian position which sometimes puts him away. Keith Kellogg nevertheless keeps great importance in the strategy of the White House and Donald Trump?

It is obviously always difficult with Donald Trump to know who influences it. It is sometimes said that it was the last one that met him. But the particularity with Donald Trump is at least his franchise in his relationships with his subordinates. If what he says does not please or if he is really in radical “the russians led him boat opposition, he turns them immediately. He does not make a neighborhood from this point of view. So obviously. Kellogg is not on the front line because it is still labeled as not being too far from the Ukrainians. It might be more difficult to send him to Russia than someone like Witkoff who does not know much after all. who gets along very well with Putin.

Kellogg is a soldier and I would say that we didn’t do it. It is therefore probably not a good idea to send it to Putin. But what is interesting is to see that he meets Zelensky. It still shows that it represents something.

Keith Kellogg is a person in the shadows. That’s why we don’t know him well. We have little information about him. But it is still quite influential even if the first circle of Donald Trump tends “the russians led him boat to put it from. time to time on the side. He remains someone who won by his knowledge of military aspects.

Do you think it is a good choice to send someone perhaps less competent in their place. for fear that he has a bias?

Generally, in all presidential teams, we prefer to have the most competent people especially on such delicate files. I don’t have to make a judgment on what Donald Trump does. But the habit is still to send experienced diplomats. But you have to realize that Donald Trump made a little empty around him.

Faced with personalities like Putin. her team, I think it would still be better to have people who know the files perfectly. With what just happened in Alaska, we had a lot of move and then finally, it doesn’t happen much. One wonders a little what “the russians led him boat it was all used for.

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When we see Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, he has been there for almost 20 years, he has been ambassador to the United States, he knows the Americans at the tips of their fingertips. And on the other hand, we have people who have little qualities. So I think it’s still interesting for Trump to keep someone like Kellogg. The fact that Trump still trusts him. keeps him in his team shows that he realizes the importance of having someone with this military experience, and who is also a republican who has always been very close to Donald Trump.

Steve Witkoff. who is already an emissary in the Middle East, assume this additional burden in front of the stamp between Moscow and “the russians led him boat Washington?

There must be someone who does it. Its particularity is to have the confidence of Donald Trump. It is an absolutely essential element today.

You also have to be honest, so far, he has not made monumental mistakes. But one cannot say either that his assessment is extraordinarily positive. But for the moment, he has been able to manage things. Additionally, But I find that it is still surprising to put him in front of someone like Putin. On the diplomatic level. the summit in Alaska is a victory over the entire line for Putin, who did exactly what he wanted and who is very very happy with the results. On the other hand. Donald Trump did not get much and perhaps it was linked to the negotiations that preceded and to the person who led them.

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