US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll took part on November 25 in talks in Abu Dhabi with Russian and Ukrainian representatives on a possible end to the war in Ukraine. CBS News, Politico and the Financial Times reported on his role in the contacts, while The Guardian says he is expected to replace Keith Kellogg as Donald Trump’s main representative on the Ukraine file.
Driscoll, a former US Army armored officer, served in Iraq in 2009 and later graduated from Yale Law School, where he became close to current US Vice President JD Vance. He also earned a business administration degree from the University of North Carolina, worked in investment banking and business operations, and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2020.
During Trump’s second term, Driscoll, who had been serving as Vance’s senior adviser, was appointed Army Secretary. The US president described him as someone with a rare combination of military, investment and political experience. Inside the administration, he built a reputation as a technocrat and a supporter of sharply expanding drone production: by his account, the US Army plans to buy at least one million drones within two to three years.
“The US armed forces love Ukraine and support it, but the honest assessment of the US military is that Ukraine is in a very bad position and now is the right time for peace,” Driscoll said, adding that security guarantees should be part of the arrangements.
According to Reuters, Trump sent Driscoll to Kyiv on November 19 to present a 28-point peace plan. Reports said the initial draft included limits on the Ukrainian army, a ban on joining NATO, and ceding to Russia territories it sought to occupy, though the document was later revised after consultations with European leaders and the Ukrainian delegation in Geneva.
On November 25, Driscoll’s spokesperson Jeff Tolbert confirmed that he was negotiating with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi and said the discussion was “going well.” According to Axios, a Ukrainian delegation led by Kyrylo Budanov was also there. Politico reported that Driscoll planned to present Moscow with the latest version of the plan approved by the United States and Ukraine on November 23.