High-ranking officials from the Pentagon have reached Ukraine to “discuss measures to conclude the war” with Russia, according to the US military.
Heading the delegation is US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is anticipated to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday upon his return from a visit to Turkey.
On Wednesday, emerging reports indicated that the US and Russia had devised a new peace proposal, featuring significant concessions from Ukraine. Neither Washington nor Moscow has officially validated the proposal.
Earlier that day, officials reported that at least 26 individuals died in a Russian missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s western city of Ternopil. Russia initiated a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Secretary Driscoll and his team arrived in Kyiv this morning on behalf of the administration for a fact-finding mission to engage with Ukrainian officials and deliberate on efforts to conclude the war,” stated Army spokesperson Col David Butler.
Joining Driscoll are the US Army’s chief of staff Gen Randy George, the leading US army commander in Europe Gen Chris Donahue, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer.
Driscoll and Gen George are the highest-ranking US military officials to engage in discussions in the Ukrainian capital since President Donald Trump assumed office in January.
An image released on Wednesday depicted Driscoll meeting and greeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal.
In a subsequent post on X, Shmyhal commented: “We concentrated on the forthcoming steps for executing the historic defense agreements established by President Zelensky and President Trump”.
He also expressed gratitude towards Washington for “approving the sale of a support package for the PATRIOT air-defense system worth around $105m (£80m)”.
Earlier, a Ukrainian representative informed CBS, the BBC’s US media partner, that discussions during the visit would center on the military situation on the ground as well as potential ceasefire arrangements.
The unnamed official mentioned: “Presidents Zelensky and Trump have reached an agreement to cease hostilities along the existing lines of engagement, along with agreements concerning security assurances”.
This comes as several outlets are reporting that the US and Russia have discreetly drafted proposals for concluding the war.
Referring to sources familiar with the discussions, Axios, the Financial Times, and Reuters indicated that the proposals suggest Kyiv concede certain territories and weaponry, in addition to imposing significant reductions on Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev are thought to have participated in the development of the 28-point peace proposal.
The BBC has reached out to the White House and a representative for Witkoff for comments.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov seemed to downplay the speculation.
“In this instance, we have no new developments concerning what we describe as ‘the spirit of Anchorage’,” he remarked to Russia’s state-controlled media on Wednesday – referencing the summit held in August between Putin and Trump in Alaska.
No details regarding agreements reached during the one-day talks have been disclosed.
President Zelensky has consistently rejected any territorial concessions to Russia.
Kyiv and its Western allies, including the US, have been urging for an immediate ceasefire along the extensive front line, but Moscow has dismissed this, reiterating demands that Ukraine considers tantamount to its effective surrender.
Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow’s prerequisites for a peace agreement – which include territorial concessions, strict restrictions on the size of Ukraine’s military, and the country’s neutrality – remain unchanged since Putin articulated them two months before the large-scale invasion.
In the meantime, a White House official confirmed to the BBC that special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg will vacate his position in January.
He reportedly determined that this would serve as a natural conclusion to his tenure in the role, which demands Senate approval for over 360 days.
Kellogg has been viewed as a key supporter of Ukraine within the White House during a period when Trump has frequently seemed to favor Russia in the conflict.
