Trump's Ukraine Representative Speaks at MEK Conference

The special representative of Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, for Ukraine and Russia, called for maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic during the "National Council of Resistance" conference, of which the People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) is a main member. Reuters reported on Saturday, January 22, that retired General Keith Kellogg, who is Trump's special representative for Ukraine and Russia, had previously postponed his trip to European capitals until after the U.S. presidential inauguration on January 20, but he attended the MEK conference in the suburbs of Paris. It is unclear whether Kellogg will use this opportunity to meet with French officials to discuss the war in Ukraine. In his speech at the MEK meeting, he called for a return to the world's "maximum pressure" policy on the Iranian government and emphasized that, in addition to "military force," economic and diplomatic pressure should also be utilized for this purpose. According to Reuters, he stated that there is an opportunity for "changing Iran towards a better situation," but this opportunity is not everlasting. The retired U.S. general added, "We must take advantage of the weakness we currently see (in the Iranian government). There is hope, and therefore there must also be action." The mentioned conference began on January 20 under the title "Iran: Organized Resistance, Key to Overthrow." Reuters notes that Kellogg had previously attended a National Council of Resistance conference in November 2024, but his participation in this new conference of the anti-Islamic Republic group, even if personal, indicates that this group has managed to attract the attention of the new U.S. government. The National Council of Resistance's website had also published images of a meeting between former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from Trump's previous administration and Maryam Rajavi, the leader of this council, two days prior. Reuters states that Marco Rubio, Trump's designated Secretary of State for the upcoming U.S. government, had also previously spoken at National Council of Resistance conferences. This group has repeatedly called for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, although it is unclear how much domestic support it has within Iran. John Bolton, the National Security Advisor at the White House during Trump's first term, also has a history of attending conferences held by the MEK. At the opening of the National Council of Resistance conference, held at its headquarters in "Auvers-sur-Oise" in the suburbs of Paris, Maryam Rajavi stated, "The regional power balance against Iran's leadership has changed; especially with the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and the crushing blow that Israel has dealt to the Islamic Republic's most important ally, Hezbollah." She emphasized that now is the time for Western governments to set aside past policies and stand alongside the people of Iran. Trump had previously announced the revival of the "maximum pressure" policy against the Islamic Republic to compel the Tehran government to reach a nuclear agreement and revise its missile programs and regional activities.