NYT: US Army secretary urges Europe to hasten end to Ukraine war

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll warned European officials about Russia’s growing missile threat in an effort to push them toward a faster end to the war in Ukraine.

European diplomats were in Kyiv last week to hear how the Trump administration would present its peace plan, the New York Times(NYT) reports, citing sources.

During the meeting, Driscoll told them that Moscow had been firing missiles at Ukraine as fast as it could for years, but Russia now produces 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.

According to the newspaper, while Russia is unlikely to significantly slow weapons production even if the war ends, halting the conflict could deny Moscow a potential justification for launching missiles or drones at another European country.

Western officials who attended the November 21 meeting with Driscoll and spoke to The New York Times described the buildup of Russian capabilities as alarming. They added that Driscoll’s warning resonated.

The newspaper further wrote that the US assessment that Moscow is accumulating missiles signals major shifts in Russia’s military industry, backed both by Ukrainian military data and analysts’ calculations.

Analysts believe Russia could use its stockpiles to further damage Ukraine’s already strained energy system and exhaust Kyiv’s supply of air-defence missiles, leaving cities such as the capital increasingly vulnerable.

In September, following unsuccessful talks, Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv and an American-owned factory in western Ukraine.

This week, just as peace negotiations appeared to be progressing, Russia struck Kyiv again with a deadly barrage of ballistic missiles and drones.

According to Ukrainian military‑intelligence data from late 2024, Russia held roughly 1,400 long-range missiles in its stockpile, including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic types.

Those stockpiles are rising: by mid-2025, estimates from the same sources suggested the number of operational long-range missiles could be approaching 2,760–3,000 units.

Production remains high, despite sanctions and wartime attrition. For instance, the monthly output of missiles such as the Iskander‑M missile and certain cruise missiles has increased significantly, in some cases by 66 % or more, compared with the previous year.

By Jeyhun Aghazada