Kellogg on ending the war: Donetsk Oblast and Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant are key sticking points

 Speaking at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum, Kellogg emphasized that “the last 10 meters are always the hardest.”

“If you’ve ever served in the military, you know the last 10 meters are the toughest. And I think we’re in the last 10 meters of this conflict [Russia’s war against Ukraine],” he said.

Kellogg believes that if the issues of control over Donbas and the Zaporizhzhya plant can be settled, the rest will “fall into place.”

He also acknowledged that resolving what he called this “unprecedented war” has been extremely difficult. He cited Russia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan after losing 18,000 troops, and the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam after losing 58,000 service members.

“Ukraine and Russia together have lost over 2 million. Think about that — those are horrific numbers. That’s why we need to bring this conflict to an end,” Kellogg said.

On Nov. 23, Kellogg praised Washington’s peace plan to resolve the war.

The U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine

On Nov. 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was presented with a draft peace plan reportedly containing 28 provisions. It was developed under the direction of U.S. presidential envoy Stephen Vitkoff, who had also held consultations with Russia. Zelenskyy is expected to discuss the plan with Donald Trump in the coming days.

According to Axios, the plan’s proposals include Ukraine relinquishing claims to the non-occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast, downsizing its armed forces, freezing the front line in Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts, lifting sanctions on Russia, implementing NATO-style security guarantees, redistributing frozen Russian assets, and creating a “Peace Council,” among other measures.

In a Nov. 21 address to Ukrainians, Zelenskyy said the country is under intense pressure and could soon face a difficult choice: sacrifice dignity or lose a key partner. He pledged to offer alternatives and work to ensure that U.S. proposals reflect Ukraine’s national interests.

Trump, for his part, confirmed he wants Zelenskyy to agree to the peace plan before Thanksgiving (Nov. 27). According to Reuters, the U.S. is threatening to cut off intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries if Ukraine rejects the plan.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin later claimed he had also received the proposal through backchannels with the U.S. administration. He called it “a post-Alaska modernization” of earlier plans

Bloomberg reported that Kyiv’s major European allies rejected key elements of the proposal after phone calls with Zelenskyy. EU officials consider the plan a blueprint for Ukraine’s capitulation and are working on their own version of support.