By John Irish

PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg (NYSE: ) was in Paris on Saturday, attending an event by the Paris-based Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI), according to TV footage. brought to the group.

Retired Lieutenant-General Kellogg, who was scheduled 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 January 20.

Kellogg is scheduled to give a speech at the event later.

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

Incoming US 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 inside Iran.

Speaking at the start of the event in Auvers-sur-Oise, the group’s headquarters outside Paris, NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi said the balance of power in the region has shifted against Iran’s leadership with all of Syria’s Presidents Bashar al-Assad and the “crushing blow” suffered by its most important ally Hezbollah is its war against Israel.

“It is time for Western governments to abandon past policies and stand with the Iranians this time,” he said.

Trump has vowed to put maximum pressure on Iran in a bid to force the country to negotiate an agreement on its nuclear program, ballistic missile program and regional activities.

It is unclear whether Kellogg will use his trip over Paris to meet with 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 Organization of Iran (PMOI), regularly holds rallies in France, often attended by high profile former US, European and Arab officials critical of the Islamic Republic.