Diplomatic Push in Kiev
On November 20, U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev to discuss a new 28-point peace plan backed by President Donald Trump. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the proposal as 'a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine.' U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and State Secretary Marco Rubio have spent the past month engaging both sides to forge a durable agreement.
European Concerns and Next Steps
While Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak with Trump in the coming days to refine diplomatic opportunities, European leaders are voicing worries about being sidelined. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that any viable plan must secure the support of Ukraine and its European partners. Talks have remained stalled since the August meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.
Battlefield Shifts in the East
Meanwhile, Russian forces have seized the strategic city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, according to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Units from the Zapad group captured the city and are targeting Ukrainian troops encircled along the left bank of the Oskol River. Advances are also reported in Krasnoarmeysk, with over 75 percent of the city now under Russian control. Since early November, Russian troops have taken 13 villages across the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Kupyansk—a key logistics hub and defense stronghold for Ukrainian forces—was previously under Russian control from February to September 2022. As diplomatic channels open and frontlines shift, the coming days could prove decisive for Ukraine's future.
Reference(s):
U.S. army secretary meets Zelenskyy as Russia captures key city
cgtn.com
