From 'Drone Guy' to Unlikely Peace Envoy: Who Is Army Secretary Dan Driscoll?

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Kyiv intending to discuss drone technology but was quickly asked to take on a broader, improvisational role: presenting elements of a 28-point U.S.-backed peace proposal to Ukrainian leaders. Over the past week he has shuttled between Kyiv, Geneva and Abu Dhabi, meeting Ukrainian, European and Russian interlocutors while carrying messages from the White House and Vice President JD Vance, according to multiple U.S. officials.

Background and rise to the assignment

Driscoll, 39, is a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq in 2009, later attended Yale, worked in finance and was confirmed as Army secretary in February. He also serves as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A close friend and former classmate of Vice President Vance, Driscoll was already traveling to Kyiv to discuss unmanned systems and military technology when the White House tapped him to raise peace-talks with Ukrainian officials.

Why Driscoll was sent

Senior officials told reporters that Driscoll was chosen because he is trusted by the president and vice president, because he was already on the ground in Kyiv and because the White House believed a uniformed military leader might carry credibility in discussions about ending the war. Although he has no formal diplomatic training, sources say Driscoll was granted broad authority to represent the administration’s intent and to press the outlines of the plan in preliminary talks.

How the plan was handled

Trump aide Steve Witkoff gave Driscoll a high-level briefing on the broad contours of the 28-point proposal before his meetings. Media leaks of elements of the plan during Driscoll’s informal discussions prompted the White House to provide him with a fuller readout and to instruct him to present the more detailed proposal to Ukrainian officials.

What Driscoll told the Ukrainians

Officials say Driscoll delivered a candid, pragmatic message: U.S. stockpiles are drawing down, and Washington cannot indefinitely sustain weapons and expanded intelligence support at past levels. He also relayed a sober U.S. assessment that, while Russian advances remain slow, Moscow may have the capacity to sustain combat longer than Ukraine can, absent a change in the battlefield dynamic.

Diplomacy, reactions and risks

Driscoll’s meetings in Geneva included delegations from France, Germany and the U.K., and he later traveled secretly to Abu Dhabi to meet a Russian delegation. Administration officials describe early Ukrainian responses as cautiously open to the broad outlines of the plan, while critics argue the process risks giving the appearance of concessions to Russia. The effort has also sparked internal debate about whether unconventional envoys and White House–led initiatives are the right path for complex negotiations.

Driscoll’s visibility has fueled speculation about his future role in the administration, including whether he could be considered for higher defense posts. Pentagon and White House officials pushed back on suggestions that his assignment signals any formal succession plan for the Defense secretary, stressing that senior leaders remain focused on diplomatic and military coordination with allies.

What’s next

Officials said the White House expects additional diplomatic activity in the coming days, with outside envoys potentially traveling to Russia and Driscoll continuing meetings with Ukrainian leaders. The situation remains fluid, and U.S. officials emphasize that Driscoll’s role has been to lay groundwork and relay administration priorities rather than to conclude any binding agreement.

Sources: This account is based on interviews with multiple current and former U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.