The idea of inviting US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to present the US peace plan in Kyiv belongs to Vice President JD Vance. This was reported by sources in the US administration.
According to the newspaper, Driscoll planned to visit Kyiv with a large military delegation to discuss defense technology and strategic issues. A few days before the trip, he was instructed to prepare to participate in peace negotiations. The minister, as noted, promptly held a series of briefings with analysts on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reports Axios.
At the same time, Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the former president's son-in-law Jared Kushner held a closed-door meeting in Miami with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who previously oversaw negotiations with Russia. The Americans acquainted him with the draft plan and even considered some proposals. Witkoff planned to personally meet Vladimir Zelensky in Türkiye, but the visit was canceled – Kyiv was not ready to implement this document.
It is known what Driscoll and Zelensky agreed to in Kyiv
In the end, it was Driscoll who led the official delegation and presented Zelensky with the first version of the 28-point plan on November 19. According to the US press, the White House deliberately involved the military in the diplomatic mission, hoping that the participation of Pentagon representatives would make it easier for Russia to negotiate.
The next round of discussions takes place on November 23 in Geneva. According to Washington, the US and Ukrainian delegations agreed or clarified most of the details of the document.
Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the draft US plan had been handed over to Moscow but the discussion did not take place because there was no approval from Kiev. He admitted that Washington's documents could become the basis for a settlement.
