Pentagon officials come to Ukraine to discuss military technology, assess peace efforts

The Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday as part of the offer of Pentagon officials in the shadow of getting to discuss military technology and examine ways to implement our officers, according to many American officials.

The delegation includes Driscoll, Army Chief of Staff Geny George, US Army Europe and Africa commander Chris Donahue, and Army Sergeant Major Michael Weimer.

The White House chose Driscoll to lead the team, according to one US official. It chose to send a team from the Pentagon in part because officials would be able to speak from a military perspective, which would be more effective in relaying to the Russians, the official said.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the visit.

“Secretary Driscoll and a team arrived this morning in Kyiv on behalf of the administration in the shadow of the analysis to meet with Ukrainian officials and discuss the effort to end the war,” military spokesman Colonel David Buthler said in a statement.

During the visit, Driscoll will look at Ukrainian technology from the Ukrainian military and defense industry, according to a defense official.

Driscoll was told “Face the nation with Margaret Brennan“Sunday that Ukraine’s use of Drones and AI Technology is” a treasure trove of information for future warfare. “He referred to what was surprising Surprise Attack It was launched in June by Ukraine in the depths of Russia – Operation Spider website – which used what Driscoll called “a hundred dollars of Drones” to destroy 10 billion machines. During the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zesenskyy’s visit to the White House last month, he offered drone technology in the US

During a few days in Ukraine, Driscoll will spend time with senior Ukrainian leaders and is scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy to try to restart negotiations.

A Ukrainian official told CBS The focus of the visit will be on the military situation on the ground in addition to possible ceasefire plans. The official said Driscoll’s visit was “very important, as we enter a decisive phase now.”

“Deputies Zelenskyy and Trump agreed to stop the conflict on the existing lines of engagement, and there are agreements to provide security guarantees,” said a Ukrainian official, who said that Ukraine had spoken to a group of more than 30 countries that supported it. “Ukraine has also had talks and talks” of meeting those who agree to “security guarantees.” Ukraine was not allowed to permanently cede this territory to Russia.

“I think a lot of the questions are, how do we actually do it with the President’s peace agenda in that part of the country,” Driscoll said, “facing the nation.” “I didn’t go to the White House, where it didn’t come out that we just want peace so that the American Industrial Base can flourish everywhere, and we have to focus on that part of the country unnecessarily right now.”

The talks to end the war have been very reprimanded since the spring, even after President Trump tried to revive them in the summer in Alaska Vladimir Putin and the meeting in Zelenskyy.

Since then, the US has resumed intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which has used UK-supplied equipment, as well as drones, to carry out attacks on Russia.

A defense official also told CBS News that Driscoll intends to meet with Russian officials in the future, but no meetings have been scheduled yet. A Russian official confirmed to CBS News that Russia is open to any talks and talks, and reiterated that in August, Putin had invited Mr. Trump in Moscow.

In an interview with axios conducted on Monday, Putin Advisor Kirill Dmitriv said that he and Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff drafted a 28-point peace plan when they visited last month in Miami.

Just days after the Trump Administration took over Restrictions on Russian oil and gas In October, Dmitriev went to the US to hold pre-arranged talks with Witkoff in an effort to make further progress on the ceasefire proposal, as a senior US official explained at the time.

Dmitriev is under them in the buildings himself, and the Treasury Department had to raid them so he could go to the US and ask Brennan to “face the nation” about these meetings, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Besslent dismissing Dmitriev as “Russian Propaganda.”

A senior official contacted by CBS News could not comment on the 28-point plan outlined by Dmitriev to Axios, but said Driscoll intends to open the door to discussing a peace plan. A Russian embassy official contacted by CBS declined to comment on the reported 28-point plan. Dmitried’s spokesperson did not respond at the time of publication.

On Tuesday, at a press conference in Spain, Zelenskyy said he intended to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss “the peace of Ukraine.” A State Department official denied reports that Witkoff would be traveling to Turkey for political meetings with Ukraine.

Witkoff did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.