Keith Kellogg’s predecessor talked about the “two roles of a general” during his mission in Ukraine

General Keith Kellogg, who is elected president of the United States Donald Trump plans to appoint as the United States special representative for Ukraine, will have two roles during this mission. He explained their essence in an interview with Radio Svoboda Kurt Walker, who held the position before Kellogg and was his only predecessor, since no such position existed under the current American administration.

“One of them (role – ed.) is to gather information and bring it back to President Trump. That is, to provide a very clear, detailed view of what is happening, as well as – what are the positions and perspectives of different players. Second, we need to communicate on behalf of President Trump. This, in particular, is what President Trump wants,” Volker said in an interview with Radio Svoboda.

At the same time, Kellogg, whose visit to Kyiv and European capitals was postponed until his official appointment, is unlikely to have the authority to make decisions, Volker noted.

When asked to what extent Donald Trump will generally listen to the opinion of his special representative on Ukraine, diplomat Volker noted that “Trump decides himself.”

“Even during his first term in the administration, of course, there were the Secretary of State, the Minister of Defense, and the National Security Advisor. They met with the president and discussed such issues as Ukraine. But in the end, Trump made the decision himself. I think it will be the same during his second term,” predicted the former US representative for Ukraine.

Commenting on the division of Trump’s entourage on the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war in particular, Walker again emphasized that the future US president is “very independent.”

“He likes to listen to different arguments and points of view. Therefore, his team unites people with different views. But he relies heavily on his own judgment,” said the exhibitor.

The Reuters agency, citing its own sources, reported that Kellogg postponed his trip to Kyiv and other European capitals until after Trump’s inauguration, which will take place on January 20. It is noted that it is a matter of legal nuances that allow negotiations with foreign officials on matters of state interest for the US only to officials with the appropriate authority.

On January 7, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga announced that Keith Kellogg’s visit to Kyiv will take place “in due course.”

On January 8, Keith Kellogg claimed in an interview with Fox News that the US president-elect “isn’t trying to give something to Putin or the Russians, he’s actually trying to save the sovereignty of Ukraine.” The nominee for the post of special representative also spoke about guarantees that it would be “fair and honest.”

The full version of Kurt Volker’s “pre-inaugural” RFE/RL interview about Trump’s expectations for office and his plans to end Russia’s war against Ukraine will be published on January 14.