Keith Kellogg

Personal details

Full name

Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr.

Born

May 12, 1944 · Dayton, Ohio

Spouse

Paige Kellogg

Children

Three

Education

Santa Clara University, political science; University of Kansas, master's in international relations

Military

U.S. Army, 1967–2003, lieutenant general; Vietnam combat tours; 82nd Airborne Division commander

First Trump administration

NSC chief of staff/executive secretary; acting national security adviser Feb 2017; national security adviser to Vice President Pence from Apr 2018

Second Trump administration

Special presidential envoy for Ukraine (initially Russia and Ukraine), 2025; departed December 31, 2025

Postgovernment

America First Policy Institute and Council on Foreign Relations distinguished senior fellow, 2026

Family, Army education and military service

Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. was born in Dayton, Ohio, raised in California and graduated from Santa Clara University and the University of Kansas. He married Paige and has three children. An Army officer for 36 years, he undertook two Vietnam War tours and earned decorations including the Silver Star, Bronze Star with valor and Air Medal with valor. ^[1]

His command roles included the 82nd Airborne Division, NATO-related U.S. forces and senior Joint Chiefs of Staff command, control and communications planning. He retired as a lieutenant general in 2003. The chronology is documented by the White House and Council on Foreign Relations; his military authority ended before later White House appointments. ^{[1] [2]}

Business, intelligence and Iraq reconstruction

After service Kellogg held positions in defense and technology firms including Cubic Defense Applications, CACI and Oracle, and served as chief operating officer of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. His military, defense-contractor and postwar government assignments were separate positions with different legal responsibilities. ^[2]

At the America First Policy Institute he co-chaired the Center for American Security. This nonprofit think-tank affiliation offered policy research and published proposals, not presidential authority until he was subsequently appointed to a government role. ^[3]

2016–2020 Trump national security roles

Kellogg advised Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. On February 13, 2017, the White House named him acting national security adviser after Michael Flynn resigned. He then served as executive secretary and chief of staff of the National Security Council, which coordinated national security information and decision-making. ^[4]

On April 23, 2018, Vice President Mike Pence appointed him national security adviser to the vice president while he continued as an assistant to the president. A vice-presidential national-security adviser is not the president's national security adviser; the original appointment distinguishes both offices. ^[5]

Ukraine and Russia envoy in 2025

Trump designated Kellogg special presidential envoy for Russia and Ukraine in November 2024. His 2025 duties emphasized Ukraine-related diplomacy, contact with Kyiv and negotiating positions concerning Russia's invasion. The administration later separated aspects of the Ukraine and Russia assignments among officials; his title and remit should be dated rather than treated as a permanent two-country portfolio. ^[3]

Kellogg publicly supported maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and reported concerns about conditions in the talks. Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, military assistance and foreign diplomatic positions are international events; Kellogg did not hold independent treaty-making powers apart from the president's delegated authority. ^[6]

Departure December 2025 and 2026 activity

Kellogg left the White House at the end of December 2025. In a February 2026 interview he said he preferred to work from outside government so he could speak more openly on Ukraine. He returned to the America First Policy Institute and became a distinguished senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. ^{[6] [2]}

His 2026 public speeches and expert commentary represent his own policy positions, not necessarily official U.S. negotiation positions. His documented connections include Trump, Pence, Michael Flynn (2017 acting succession), AFPI and senior national-security staff. ^{[4] [6]}

Military-to-contracting career and 2026 external Ukraine advocacy

The Council on Foreign Relations biography records Kellogg's private-sector senior positions at CACI International (executive vice president for mission systems), Cubic Defense Applications, Oracle Corporation and GTSI, together with service as chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. These are employment and wartime reconstruction assignments, not proof he personally awarded specific Defense Department contracts to former employers. ^[7]

His military honors include the Silver Star, multiple Bronze Stars and the Distinguished Service Medal. Commands included the 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Staff communications systems responsibility. His military and presidential envoy roles had separate authorities. ^[7]

In February 2026, following his December 31, 2025 exit as Ukraine envoy, he said he joined the America First Policy Institute and sought greater freedom to speak about Russia's war in Ukraine. He later joined the Council on Foreign Relations as distinguished senior fellow and contributed to a July 2026 Washington Institute analysis on Russia and the Middle East. Those dates distinguish presidential service from outside policy advocacy. ^{[8] [9]}

Where this subject appears in The Story

References

1. CFR 2026 Keith Kellogg senior fellow biography
2. CFR 2025 source biography and family/education, originally public briefing
3. America First Policy Institute Kellogg background and past role
4. White House archived Feb 13 2017 Kellogg acting national security adviser
5. White House archived Apr 23 2018 Pence appointed Kellogg adviser
6. Kyiv Independent Feb 2026 Kellogg exit and AFPI remarks
7. CFR Kellogg expert biography, private-sector employment and military honors
8. Kyiv Independent Feb 2026 Kellogg departure and AFPI external role
9. Washington Institute Kellogg July 2026 policy publications