US President-elect Donald Trump announces key decision, Russia sets conditions for peace, Kyiv softens tone.

US President-elect Donald Trump has just announced his new personnel choices to deal with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while both Moscow and Kyiv have shared views on peace negotiations.

US President-elect Donald Trump nominated General Keith Kellogg (right) as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. (Source: The New York Times)

According to AP , on November 27, President-elect Donald Trump announced on the social media platform Truth Society that he would nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia.

General Kellogg is a retired Army Lieutenant General and a top advisor to President Trump on defense matters, having previously served as National Security Advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence.

This nomination comes as the conflict in Ukraine is set to enter its third year this coming February. Trump has repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden's administration for pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine.

In an April article for the America First Policy Institute, Kellogg stated: "Ending the Russia-Ukraine war will require strong 'America First' leadership to achieve a peace agreement and an immediate cessation of hostilities between the two warring parties."

Regarding the peace negotiations, on November 28, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that achieving a solution to the crisis through negotiations is only possible if the United States and Western countries acknowledge that there is no alternative to Moscow's peace initiatives.

Speaking to Sputnik , Ryabkov further noted that if the West continues on its current trajectory, there will be no basis for any negotiations.

Meanwhile, on the Kyiv side, according to the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian President, Andriy Ermak, the country may change its stance on the conditions for negotiations with Moscow, noting that discussions could begin even if Russian troops do not withdraw to the 1991 border as previously demanded by the Eastern European nation.

According to the Swedish magazine Dagens Industri , Ermak said: “Effective negotiations are only possible when both sides are willing to end hostilities. At the same time, the military situation needs to return to the state it was in on February 23, 2022.” He emphasized that this viewpoint could form the basis for a peace agreement.

Previously, Kyiv stated that a prerequisite for resuming negotiations was the complete withdrawal of Russian troops to the 1991 borders, including from the Crimean Peninsula and Donbass. However, recent statements by Mr. Ermak suggest that Kyiv's position may have become more flexible.

Some observers suggest that this shift in tone stems from the unfavorable military situation, significant losses, and pressure from Western partners who are calling for a peace process.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/xung-dot-ukraine-tong-thong-my-dac-cu-donald-trump-thong-bao-lua-chon-quan-trong-nga-neu-dieu-kien-de-co-hoa-binh-kiev-ha-tong-295439.html