Driscoll tried to persuade Europeans to end war in Ukraine as quickly as possible - NYT
Photo: Dan Driscoll (Getty Images)
US Army Minister Dan Driscoll told European partners about the growing missile threat from Russia, attempting to persuade them to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, according to The New York Times.
According to sources, European diplomats were in Kyiv last week to hear how the Trump administration plans to present its peace proposal.
During the meeting, Driscoll told them that Moscow had for years been firing missiles at Ukraine as quickly as it could produce them. Now, however, Russia is manufacturing enough to build a growing stockpile of long-range weapons.
"The implication was clear, the officials said: A settlement is needed quickly because of a rising missile threat that could deliver a knockout blow to Ukraine and spill over its borders," the sources said.
As the New York Times reports, while Russia is not expected to significantly reduce its weapons production even if the war ends, halting the conflict would deprive Moscow of a potential pretext to launch missiles or drones at another European country.
Western officials who attended Friday’s meeting with Driscoll and later spoke to the NYT described the buildup of Russian capabilities as alarming. They added that Driscoll’s warning resonated with them.
The newspaper further notes that Washington’s assessment that Moscow is stockpiling missiles points to major shifts inside Russia’s military-industrial sector. The NYT clarifies that these findings are supported by Ukrainian military intelligence and analysts’ calculations.
Analysts say Russia could use its arsenals to further cripple Ukraine’s already damaged energy system. In addition, Moscow could exhaust Ukraine’s supplies of air-defense missiles, leaving cities such as Kyiv increasingly vulnerable.
They also warn that Russia may threaten other European states with missile strikes or hybrid attacks.
War or peace - with no 'guarantees'
Recently, the United States presented Ukraine with a new peace plan to end the war. The document initially contained 28 points, including concessions deeply painful for Kyiv, among them the surrender of Donbas, cuts to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and giving up long-range weapons systems.
For this reason, on Sunday, 23 November, delegations from the US, Ukraine, and Europe met in Geneva to revise the proposal and make it more acceptable to Kyiv.
According to the Financial Times, the plan has since been reduced from 28 points to 19 - though President Donald Trump hinted a day earlier that the revised draft contained 22 points.
Axios reports that alongside the peace plan, Washington provided Kyiv with another document outlining NATO-style security guarantees.
According to the outlet, in the event of a new Russian attack, the US and Europe would be obligated to respond - potentially including the use of military force. The agreement would last for 10 years with an option to extend.
However, Politico reported yesterday that the security guarantees may not be as firm as initially suggested. According to its sources, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European counterparts that Washington’s priority is first to secure a peace deal before agreeing to any long-term security commitments for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NBC News wrote that Driscoll warned officials in Kyiv of an impending defeat, citing the difficult battlefield situation for Ukrainian forces, Russia’s readiness to fight indefinitely, and arguing that the best option is to strike a deal - otherwise, the conditions will only worsen later.
