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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear.

President-elect Donald Trump announced that former national security aid and retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg will be his special envoy to Russia and Ukraine. MPR's Franco Ordonez reports Kellogg will lead Trump's negotiations to end the war.

Trump said in a statement that Kellogg was with him right from the beginning, and that, quote,

we will secure peace through strength and make America and the world safe again.

Trump has promised to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Kellogg's appointment could shed some light on how he expects to accomplish that.

Kellogg wrote a plan for the America First Policy Institute that suggested establishing a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. The plan also includes conditioning military aid for Ukraine on the

government entering peace talks. To entice Putin, Kellogg suggests that the president offered a

put off NATO membership for Ukraine. The U.S. would also offer to lift all sanctions

if Russia signs a peace agreement that is acceptable to Ukraine. Franco, Ordonius, NPR News.

The Biden administration says its diplomacy with China has paid off and now three Americans

have been freed from Chinese jails.

NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports that members of Congress are welcoming the news.

Republican Congressman Chris Smith says he was overjoyed to hear the news that Mark Sweedon,

Kai Li, and John Luong have been released from what he calls their unjust attention in China.

Smith co-chairs the Congressional Executive Commission on China,

along with Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon.

I really applaud the Biden administration for putting a lot of diplomatic muscle into this effort at the close of their administration to get these individuals released.

Merkley says there's usually a quid pro quo with these prisoner releases, but the administration

has not informed Congress about who or what China gets in return.

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