Thu Mar 06 18:42:11 UTC 2025: ## Trump Envoy Blames Ukraine for Aid Freeze, Likens Action to Hitting a “Mule”
**NEW YORK** – A top Trump administration official has blamed Ukraine for the controversial suspension of US military aid, drawing a controversial analogy to striking a stubborn animal. Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, the former special envoy on Russia and Ukraine, asserted that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s failure to promptly sign a US mineral rights sharing agreement prompted the aid freeze.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations Thursday, Kellogg stated bluntly, “Very candidly, they brought it on themselves – the Ukrainians.” He described the aid cut, crucial to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion, as a “short, sharp shock,” likening the tactic to “hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose.” He claimed the action successfully gained Zelensky’s attention.
Kellogg indicated that the aid suspension is temporary, contingent upon Zelensky signing the agreement, a deal he said would compensate the US for billions of dollars in weaponry provided since 2022. He emphasized that the final decision rests solely with President Trump.
The controversial comments follow a tense meeting between Zelensky and Trump last week. While Zelensky reportedly expressed skepticism about trusting Russian promises, Trump and Vice President Vance accused him of ingratitude. Kellogg maintained that the Trump administration was also simultaneously applying pressure on Russia, focusing on enforcing existing sanctions, rather than pursuing new measures.
First Piper 