KYIV: Senior U.S. military leaders have arrived in Ukraine for discussions aimed at bringing an end to the war with Russia, according to the Pentagon.
The delegation, headed by U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday upon his return from Turkey, according to BBC.
The visit comes amid unconfirmed reports that Washington and Moscow have drafted a new peace proposal that would require major concessions from Ukraine. Neither government has publicly acknowledged the existence of such a plan.
Earlier on Wednesday, officials in western Ukraine reported that at least 26 people were killed in a Russian missile and drone strike on the city of Ternopil. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, BBC reported.
“Secretary Driscoll and his team arrived in Kyiv this morning on a fact-finding mission to meet Ukrainian leaders and discuss pathways to ending the war,” U.S. Army spokesperson Col. David Butler said in a statement.
Driscoll is accompanied by several top-ranking U.S. military officials: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, U.S. Army Europe commander Gen. Chris Donahue, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer. Driscoll and Gen. George are the highest-ranking American military figures to hold talks in Kyiv since President Donald Trump took office in January.
A photograph released Wednesday showed Driscoll greeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal. In a subsequent message on X, Shmyhal stated that their talks centered on implementing the “historic defense agreements” previously reached between Presidents Zelensky and Trump. He also expressed gratitude to the United States for approving a support package valued at roughly $105 million for the PATRIOT air-defense system.
A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously to CBS, said the discussions will examine battlefield dynamics and explore possible ceasefire options. According to the official, Zelensky and Trump have already agreed to halt fighting along current frontlines and have discussed security guarantees for Ukraine.
(Inputs from BBC)
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