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United States Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday for talks with Ukraine’s military intelligence chief and a Russian delegation in a renewed effort to end the ongoing war, the Financial Times reported.
Citing a U.S. official and two sources familiar with the discussions, the report said Driscoll began meetings with the Russian delegation Monday night, with talks expected to continue through Tuesday.
Driscoll is also scheduled to meet with Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), according to the report. It was not immediately clear whether the parties were meeting jointly or separately.
“Driscoll has been involved with this peace process pretty hot and heavy in the past few days,” the Financial Times quoted the U.S. official as saying. “He’s been obviously very involved, so he’s able to kind of communicate that piece” to Russia.
The meetings in the United Arab Emirates follow weekend negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Geneva that reportedly resulted in progress on the U.S.-proposed peace framework.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff had gone through the 28-point plan “thoroughly” with Ukrainian counterparts during the Geneva meetings.
“They were really able to fine-tune the points. And so now, there are just a couple points of disagreement that our teams continue to work through,” Leavitt said. She added that President Donald Trump “remains hopeful and optimistic that a deal can be struck.”
“He wants to see the killing end. He wants this war to end ... The United States is still sending or selling a big amount of weapons to NATO,” Leavitt said. “The president wants this war to end. He is a peacetime president. That's what he's pursuing.”
U.S., Ukrainian, and European representatives gathered in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the proposal, which Trump said was not his “final offer.” The draft plan reportedly calls for Ukraine to cede additional territory to Russia, reduce the size of its military, and abandon its bid to join NATO.
Trump has given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to respond.
In a video address Monday, Zelenskyy said the "sensitive" aspects of the deal would be addressed directly with Trump. He confirmed that Ukraine’s negotiating team had returned from Geneva with a revised version of the plan.
“Today our delegation returned from Geneva after negotiations with the American side and European partners. Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable,” Zelenskyy said. “As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points—no longer 28—and many of the right elements have been taken into account.”
“Our team has reported on the new draft of steps, and this is indeed the right approach—I will discuss the sensitive issues with President Trump,” he added.
In a separate message, Zelenskyy said “constructive work” with Western partners was critical and warned of continued Russian pressure.
“We must be cognizant that Russia will not ease its pressure on Ukraine. In these days and weeks, it is essential to take air raid alerts and all similar strike threats very seriously,” he said.
“There must be no missiles, no massive strikes on Ukraine and our people. This can indeed be ensured by those who are really strong in the world. And much depends on America,” he said. “Russia started this war, and it is Russia that must end it.”
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On Saturday, leaders from nine European nations, along with Canada, Japan, and top EU officials, expressed concern that limitations proposed in the U.S. plan could leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks.
“We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces,” they said in a joint statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan included provisions that require broader discussion, including Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and the status of frozen Russian assets in the European Union.
Macron announced that 30 countries in the pro-Ukraine “coalition of the willing” will hold a video conference Tuesday to follow up on the Geneva and Abu Dhabi discussions.
“We all want peace and we are agreed. We want the peace to be strong and lasting,” Macron said. “A settlement must take into account the security of all Europeans.”
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