Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet top Pentagon officials in Kyiv on Thursday, his office confirmed, as reports emerge of a US-backed plan to end the war with Moscow on terms favourable to the Kremlin.
The meeting follows a setback in diplomatic efforts when Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, skipped a scheduled meeting with Zelensky in Turkey. It also comes a day after a Russian strike killed at least 26 people in one of Moscow’s deadliest attacks on Ukraine this year.
The Pentagon delegation, led by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko met Driscoll Thursday, describing the visit as an opportunity for US officials to “assess the situation on the ground and to witness firsthand the consequences of Russian aggression.” Zelensky’s aide, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed that the Ukrainian leader plans to meet the delegation.
The group also met Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday evening. US officials have rarely visited Ukraine since Donald Trump returned to office in January.
US media reports suggest Washington and Moscow have been secretly working on a draft peace plan, which would require Kyiv to cede territory and reduce its army by more than half — a move critics say amounts to capitulation. The Kremlin declined to comment on the reports, while Washington and Kyiv have remained publicly silent.
