A senior US military delegation is in Kyiv to discuss ending the war, amid unconfirmed reports of a US-Russia draft peace plan demanding major Ukrainian concessions.
European leaders insist any proposal must have Ukrainian approval, as Zelensky continues to reject territorial losses.
The visit follows a deadly Russian strike in Ternopil and comes as Washington prepares for a key transition with envoy Keith Kellogg set to depart.
Senior US Military Delegation Visits Kyiv Amid Reports Of US-Russia Peace Framework
A high-level Pentagon team led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Kyiv to discuss efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war, as reports surfaced of a controversial draft peace plan requiring major concessions from Ukraine—claims neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed.
Summary
Senior Pentagon officials have arrived in Ukraine to hold talks on ending the war with Russia, BBC reported. The delegation, led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday.
The visit comes amid reports that the US and Russia have explored a new draft peace framework that would require Ukraine to surrender territory it still controls and sharply reduce the size of its military.
Although neither government has acknowledged the 28-point proposal—reportedly drafted by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev—US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that “difficult but necessary concessions” would be needed for a lasting peace. European leaders reacted cautiously, warning that any agreement must respect Ukrainian sovereignty.
The reports surfaced as a Russian missile and drone strike killed at least 26 people in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, with dozens more missing. Zelensky, who was in Turkey at the time, had reportedly been planning talks with Trump’s envoy, though these were never confirmed.
Driscoll’s delegation, the most senior US military group to visit Ukraine since Trump took office, includes Army Chief of Staff Gen Randy George and senior commanders from Europe. A Ukrainian official told CBS that discussions would focus on battlefield dynamics and potential ceasefire arrangements, adding that Zelensky and Trump had already agreed to halt fighting along current lines of engagement.
Details of the alleged Witkoff-Dmitriev plan—reported by Axios, Reuters and the Financial Times—suggest territorial concessions in Donbas and drastic cuts to Ukrainian forces, proposals Zelensky has firmly rejected. The Kremlin downplayed the reports, while reiterating its long-standing conditions for any settlement.
Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and a key advocate for Kyiv, will leave his post in January at the end of his 360-day tenure.
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