Looking through the gallery of US Army Secretaries of State from past decades, there are some names that will be familiar to non-American audiences. This is not surprising: the job description primarily involves equipment acquisition and financial issues related to the United States Army. That may change with current incumbent Dan Driscoll. He was 38 years old when he assumed office, making him the youngest person to hold the position. But there’s more: until a few days ago, it seems he has been entrusted with the most delicate mission of all.
Although the lawyer and former military officer, who served as a soldier in Iraq in 2009, has no diplomatic experience, Driscoll has been given a central role as a key negotiator in US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
From Kellogg to Witkoff to Driscoll
Conducting ceasefire talks with Russia and Ukraine technically should have been the job of retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, who Trump appointed as the US special envoy to Ukraine after being elected to a second term. But despite being considered an important advocate for Kiev in Washington, the experienced former soldier was gradually stripped of his powers and failed to play a decisive role. He is to leave his post in early 2026.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for peace, initially took charge of negotiations with Russia. The former real estate manager and Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East already played a key role in negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and is considered one of the US president’s closest confidants. However, now Driscoll is coming to the fore.
Driscoll offers ‘peace plan’ to Zelensky
Driscoll first attracted international attention on November 20 when he made an unannounced visit to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Initially, it was supposed to be a routine visit to discuss defense issues like drones. But then the minister received orders to deliver to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a 28-point White House “peace plan” to end the conflict.
From Ukraine, he traveled to Switzerland, where he held confidential talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff in Geneva with representatives of Ukraine and European NATO allies. Since Monday, Driscoll has been in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, where he reportedly held secret talks with a Russian delegation. According to media reports, he also met Kirill Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence.
Close friendship with JD Vance
Like Witkoff, Driscoll has little diplomatic experience. But the father of two, who previously worked as a lawyer and an investment banker, was born into a military family in North Carolina. His grandfather fought in World War II, while his father fought in Vietnam, and he himself served as a platoon leader in a mountain division in Iraq.
Since he had no high-level experience in the military or politics before 2025, his meteoric rise is attributed to his long-term friendship with US Vice President JD Vance, with whom he attended Yale Law School.
In late February, it was Vance, not US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who swore in Driscoll as Secretary of the Army, an appointment that received widespread approval even from Democrats in the US Senate. In his brief speech, Driscoll particularly emphasized his close friendship with the Vice President and his wife.
Not much confidence in Hegseth
According to the British newspaper GuardianDriscoll is said to have impressed White House insiders as one of the administration’s most skilled performers. This is in contrast to Hegseth, who has been embroiled in various controversies and is considered unsuitable for sensitive missions.
A report in a media outlet politico Said that “a person familiar with the dynamics of the administration” had told him that “there was not a lot of trust in Hegseth to deliver these messages to key leaders.”
In contrast, there was greater confidence in Driscoll, who has established close working relationships with top government officials, including controversial National Guard deployments across the US.
Within weeks of taking office, Driscoll was given additional responsibilities. Since April 2025, he has been the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), whose expertise he can rely on for his negotiations on the war in Ukraine. He has publicly praised Ukraine’s innovative spirit in developing advanced drones and autonomous weapons systems, which he said the US emulates. He said the US military planned to purchase at least one million drones within two or three years.
Since it is questionable whether the US itself could provide such supplies so rapidly, Ukraine has indicated that it could help. Driscoll appears to be a suitable negotiator for an exchange of technology that could benefit both countries.
Can Driscoll complete his mission?
Whether Driscoll will ultimately be able to accomplish the mission assigned to him by Trump – to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough with Russia in the Ukraine war – remains to be seen.
In any case, the current Secretary of the Army embodies a new generation of Trump confidants: young, loyal, and willing to take unconventional paths to achieve the president’s goals. How well Driscoll, Witkoff and Rubio will fare in the long run also remains to be seen, but the public has not been informed of any conflict yet.
As the face of Trump’s effort to broker peace in Ukraine, Driscoll is caught between the president’s high expectations and the global public’s attention.
This article was originally published in German.