Army Secretary Den Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy George have emerged as the highest-ranking Pentagon officials during Donald Trump's administration to make an unannounced trip to Ukraine this week. According to Politico, they are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian military leaders, political figures, and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On November 19, the aim of the visit is to engage Ukrainian leadership in the peace process with Russia, despite Moscow's rejection of previous U.S. and Ukrainian attempts to halt hostilities.
It is noted that the U.S. and Ukraine are also working on a significant agreement regarding the exchange of drone technology and autonomous weapon systems, and this trip is partly intended to support those efforts.
The details of the trip were shared by two individuals familiar with the plans who agreed to speak anonymously due to the sensitive nature of national security issues.
“At first glance, sending Army Secretary Driscoll to Kyiv on a delicate peace mission may seem unusual. However, the veteran and friend of Vice President JD Vance from Yale Law School has become an important figure in the Pentagon and may now play a more prominent role,” the publication states.
During a Pentagon press conference this month, George emphasized that studying how Ukraine fights and rapidly implements new technologies, “we've learned from them how to act quickly. And, you know, we've tried to replicate that” in rapid field training and army testing.