Senior Pentagon officials have arrived in Ukraine to engage in discussions regarding efforts to conclude the ongoing conflict with Russia, as stated by the US military. The delegation is led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday following his return from a trip to Turkey.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced indicating that both the US and Russia may have drafted a new peace plan that could require significant concessions from Ukraine. However, neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed these reports officially.
Earlier in the day, officials reported that at least 26 individuals lost their lives in a Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Ternopil. Russia has been engaged in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
A statement from Army spokesman Col David Butler noted that Secretary Driscoll and his team are in Kyiv for a fact-finding mission to meet with Ukrainian officials and explore ways to end the conflict. Driscoll is accompanied by several senior military leaders, marking the first visit by high-ranking US officials to Ukraine’s capital since January 2017.
An image shared on Wednesday showed Driscoll meeting Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, who later mentioned on social media that their discussions centered on the implementation of defense agreements previously reached between President Zelensky and then-President Trump. Shmyhal also expressed gratitude to Washington for approving a $105 million support package for the PATRIOT air-defense system.
While some unnamed Ukrainian officials indicated that discussions would also cover military conditions and potential ceasefire plans, reports suggest that any proposals from the US and Russia might entail Ukraine giving up certain territories and reducing its military capabilities. It is believed that key figures, including Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and a Russian envoy, have been involved in crafting this plan, which remains unconfirmed.
President Zelensky has consistently rejected any territorial concessions, and while Ukraine and its Western allies advocate for an immediate ceasefire, Russia maintains its own demands, which Ukraine views as unacceptable. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed this position earlier this month, stating that Moscow’s preconditions for a peace deal, which include territorial cessions and limitations on Ukraine’s military, have not altered since before the invasion.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgdgrqwnq9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss