US special envoy praises European countries for ramping up defense spending
Keith Kellogg says he is confident on prospects for peace agreement between Ukraine, Russia
BRUSSELS
The US envoy for Ukraine and Russia said Thursday that European countries have significantly enhanced their defense efforts in recent years, also hailing US President Donald Trump for having pushed America’s allies to spend more on defense.
Speaking at the German Marshall Fund's Brussels Forum, Keith Kellogg praised the increased defense efforts by European nations compared to previous years, adding: "The European nations have really stepped up,”
On Trump, who long said US allies in Europe should foot a larger bill for defense efforts, he said: “I know that his instincts were really good."
Kellogg also addressed the war in Ukraine, advocating for a "comprehensive ceasefire agreement" covering air, land, sea, and infrastructure, and said he is confident about the prospects of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, following a review of both sides' proposals.
"We took the Ukrainian document, then the Russian one ... And we said: Okay, how can you combine these two documents to reach the final state? And now we feel quite confident. We know what the final state can and should look like," he said.
