As Ukraine continues to lose ground on the eastern and southern fronts, top U.S. Army officials have arrived in Kyiv to help reinvigorate the peace process. The delegation includes Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Commander Gen. Chris Donahue, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer. This marks the highest-ranking Trump-era U.S. delegation to Ukraine since the 2022 invasion.
Focus of the Visit
- Peace plan discussions: The team will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ongoing negotiations and a potential peace framework.
- Battlefield innovations: Driscoll highlighted Ukraine’s use of drones and AI, especially the Operation Spider Web in June, where a few hundred thousand dollars’ worth of drones destroyed $10 billion of Russian equipment.
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi briefed the U.S. delegation on battlefield developments, ongoing weapons needs, and the country’s defense technology advancements, emphasizing the importance of air and missile defense, long-range strike systems, and unmanned capabilities.
Frontline Situation
Meanwhile, Russian forces advanced into Siversk, controlling about 20% of the city, and carried out one of their deadliest strikes on Ternopil, killing at least 25 people, including three children.
Political Crisis in Kyiv
Domestically, Zelensky faces a major scandal involving Energoatom, the state nuclear company, with allegations of $100 million in kickbacks. The scandal has weakened Ukraine’s leverage with international donors.
Trump-Era Peace Plan
A 28-point U.S.-drafted plan proposes:
- Russia gaining de facto control over Luhansk and Donetsk while certain areas become demilitarized.
- Maintaining current lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukraine abandoning key weapons and losing access to U.S. long-range support.
Zelensky also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara to discuss potential peace options, stressing the need for coordinated international efforts to stop the bloodshed and achieve lasting security.
Despite U.S. involvement and the Trump plan, the war’s outcome remains uncertain. Ongoing battlefield losses and domestic political crises place Zelensky in his weakest bargaining position since February 2022, making the road to peace still highly precarious.
