U.S. Military Leaders Visit Ukraine: New Opportunities Ahead

This week, high-ranking Pentagon officials, Secretary of the Army Den Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy George, are making an unannounced visit to Ukraine. According to Politico and its sources, their goal is to meet with Ukrainian military and political leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, the main aim of the visit is to engage Ukraine in peace negotiations with Russia, despite Moscow’s refusal of previous U.S. and Ukrainian attempts to halt the fighting.
Additionally, the U.S. and Ukraine are working on a significant agreement regarding the exchange of drone and autonomous weapon system technologies, and this trip is partly intended to bolster those efforts.
The details of the trip were revealed by two individuals familiar with the plans who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of national security issues.
Although sending U.S. Army Secretary Driscoll to Kyiv on a delicate peace mission may seem unusual, the veteran and close friend of Vice President JD Vance has become a prominent figure in the Pentagon and may take on a more significant role going forward.
During a press conference at the Pentagon this month, George, the top army officer, noted that studying how Ukraine fights and quickly implements new technologies has taught them valuable lessons. «We have learned from them how to operate swiftly. And, you know, we have tried to replicate that» in rapid field training and army testing.