Translated with AI
US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy George arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit for talks with Ukrainian military personnel, lawmakers, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This was reported to Politico on the evening of Tuesday, November 18, by US administration officials. According to the source, these are the first senior Pentagon officials from President Donald Trump's team to visit Ukraine since US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's trip in February.
Driscoll and George's visit comes amid intensifying Russian strikes on Ukraine and amid Western partners' search for new ways to provide military and technological support to Kyiv. The meetings will focus on discussing the stalled peace process with Russia, despite sources noting that Moscow has rejected previous attempts by Washington and Kyiv to end hostilities. The two sides also intend to explore cooperation in drones and autonomous munitions, including a major deal to exchange relevant technologies.
Two informed sources spoke on condition of anonymity about Driscoll and George's visit, Politico reports. Pentagon officials, including Driscoll and George themselves, declined to comment. The US Secretary of Defense has not yet visited Kyiv.
Several American media outlets are reporting on Driscoll's upcoming plans: according to The Wall Street Journal, after his visit to Kyiv, he intends to hold meetings with Russian representatives. Axios, citing US and Russian officials, reported that the Trump administration is holding closed-door talks with Moscow on a new plan to end the war in Ukraine. According to the publication, the discussions revolve around a 28-point American plan, inspired by the Trump administration's approach to resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip. The plan addresses four areas: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, European security, and the prospects for relations between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv.
Earlier this year, relations between the US and Ukrainian leadership experienced periods of heated diplomatic spats, including a heated exchange in the Oval Office between the US and Ukrainian presidents, including one involving the vice president. However, according to several publications, in recent months the Trump administration has softened its tone toward Kyiv and demonstrated a willingness to support NATO and allied efforts to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
