PARIS: US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg was in Paris on Saturday, attending the event of an Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), according to TV footage carried by the group.

Retired Lt Gen Kellogg, who is set to serve as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, postponed a trip to European capitals earlier this month until after Trump’s inauguration on Jan 20.

Kellogg was set to give a speech at the event later.

He has previously spoken at NCRI events, most recently in November, but his presence in Paris, even if in a personal capacity, suggests the group has the ear of the new US administration.

Incoming secretary of state Marco Rubio has also spoken at NCRI events in the past. The group has repeatedly called for the fall of the existing Iranian authorities, although it is unclear how much support it has within Iran.

Speaking at the start of the event at Auvers-sur-Oise, the group’s headquarters on the outskirts of Paris, NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi said the regional balance of power had shifted against Iran’s leadership with the all of Syria’s Bashar Al Assad.

“It is time for Western governments to abandon past policies and stand with the Iranian people this time,” she said. Trump has vowed to impose maximum pressure on Iran in a bid to force the country to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme, ballistic missile programme and regional activities.

It was unclear whether Kellogg would use his trip to Paris to meet French officials to discuss Ukraine.

The NCRI, the political arm of the Peoples Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), has held frequent rallies in France, often attended by high profile former US, European and Arab officials critical of Tehran.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025