Ukraine waits for Trump the dealmaker to broker end of Putin’s war | Shaun Walker in Kyiv
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The US president-elect’s policy on the conflict may prove decisive, but appeasing both sides will be a challenge. A new year in Ukraine began in much the same way as the old one finished: with deadly Russian drone attacks across the country. In Kyiv, one person was killed and at least six others were injured in the first few hours of 2025.
![[Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Donald Trump]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/832fbb6a23aa0b66835f9ef5e49485031fecbb38/0_185_3893_2336/master/3893.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
It is Ukraine’s third new year since Russia’s invasion. If 2023 began with hopes high that Ukrainian battlefield gains would push Russia back and lead to an outright victory, by the start of 2024 the Ukrainian army and population were already settled in for the long haul and had few illusions about a quick victory.
![[Keith Kellogg]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/dd288cc5d732744ccd1413f3e8e5a5d24bb1e2fd/0_49_4803_2882/master/4803.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Now 2025 begins with morale at perhaps the lowest point of the war – and with Donald Trump’s presidency on the horizon. Trump has said that ending the war is one of his top international priorities, and has appointed retired US general Keith Kellogg as his special envoy charged with the task.
A seasoned veteran, Kellogg is expected in Kyiv imminently and is a more welcome choice for Ukraine than other figures in Trump’s orbit, who have clear pro-Russian views. Kellogg has already visited Ukraine during wartime and seen first-hand the results of Russia’s war. Ukrainian officials believe these visits have often fundamentally altered the views of western politicians on the conflict.
Prior to his appointment, Kellogg had suggested a policy of threatening to cut off weapons to Ukraine if it refused to negotiate with Russia, but increasing them if Russia did not play ball. In recent days, he has criticised Russia’s attacks on Ukraine but also rebuked Ukraine for actions such as the assassination of a Russian general in Moscow.
