A peace agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine is “very close,” according to outgoing U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. He indicated that the resolution hinges on resolving two primary outstanding issues: the future of the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, following prolonged fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in Donbas, comprised of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The war represents the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II and has ignited the most significant confrontation between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War.
Kellogg, who is set to leave his post in January, stated at the Reagan National Defense Forum that efforts to resolve the conflict have entered what he termed the “final ten meters,” the most challenging phase. He elaborated that the two key sticking points relate to territory: the future of Donbas and the future of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, currently under Russian control.
“If we solve these two issues, I think the rest will fall into place… We’re almost at the end, we’re really close,” Kellogg stated.
Kellogg noted that Russia and Ukraine have collectively suffered over two million casualties since the beginning of the war. Neither country has released reliable estimates of their losses, with Moscow claiming that Western and Ukrainian estimates are exaggerated, and Kyiv asserting that Moscow inflates estimates of Ukrainian losses.
He further added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a lengthy and “substantive” phone call on Saturday with former President Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The Kremlin stated on Friday that it anticipates Kushner will play a major role in drafting a potential agreement.
DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
