A rare and unannounced visit was made to Kyiv by two top US military officials, arriving in the Ukrainian capital for talks with country leaders in an attempt to revitalize peace negotiations with Russia, as reported by Politico today and transmitted by ANA-MPA.
Meeting with Zelensky
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff General Randy George are set to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, senior commanders, and lawmakers, according to Politico, which cites people familiar with the visit’s planning.
Driscoll is also expected to meet with Russian officials at a later date, reports the Wall Street Journal in a separate article, citing sources. So far there has been no comment from the White House or Pentagon.
The Trump administration is secretly developing a new plan to end the war in Ukraine in consultation with Russia, reported the news website Axios yesterday, Tuesday, citing American and Russian officials.
The Wall Street Journal, for its part, reports, as transmitted by ANA-MPA, that the White House reached out to Driscoll and senior military commanders, partly hoping that Moscow might respond better to military mediators, as well as due to frustration with previous, largely fruitless efforts.
The visit to Kyiv takes place as Russian forces advance gradually on sections of the front line and increase missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, while Kyiv’s Western allies seek new ways to continue arms and ammunition supplies.
Alert in Poland after barrage of Russian strikes in western Ukraine
Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early this morning to ensure the security of Polish airspace after Russia launched air raids targeting western Ukraine near the border with Poland, announced the armed forces of this NATO member country.
Since Trump took power in January, visits by high-ranking officials from his administration to Kyiv have been rare, with most contacts taking place in third countries or via video conference. The visit by Driscoll and George is therefore very unusual.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Zelensky said he plans to travel to Turkey today, in an attempt to revitalize talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, which is approaching the end of its fourth year.
The talks that the US military officials will have in Kyiv are expected to cover Ukraine’s battlefield needs and broader strategy, including efforts to revitalize the peace process with Moscow, according to Politico.
