By John Irish
PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg was in Paris on Saturday, attending an event at Paris-based Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), according to TV footage carried by the group.
Retired Lieutenant-General 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 U.S. administration.
Incoming U.S. 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 President Bashar al-Assad and the “crushing blow” suffered by its most important ally Hezbollah is its war with Israel.
“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 top Paris to meet French officials to discuss Ukraine. The French presidency, foreign ministry, Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond for comment.
The NCRI, the political arm of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), has held frequent rallies in the France, often attended by high profile former U.S., European and Arab officials critical of the Islamic Republic.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sabine Siebold, Mark Potter and Alex Richardson)
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