US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll has unexpectedly engaged in the Ukraine conflict settlement process, traveling to Kiev this week to present Washington’s proposed peace plan to the Ukrainian military leadership.

Political outsider, friend of JD Vance
Before being appointed by Trump late last year as secretary of the army, Driscoll had maintained a low public profile. His military career included a nine-month tour in Iraq, after which he left active duty as a first lieutenant in March 2011. Driscoll is known to be a friend and former classmate of US Vice President J.D. Vance, having attended Yale Law School post-9/11 GI Bill. He previously worked in investment banking and ran for the Republican nomination to represent North Carolina’s 11th congressional district in the 2020 election.

Assault on the military-industrial complex
Driscoll has called for an overhaul of the US military’s procurement system, dominated by the Big Five: Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and Northrop Grumman. The procurement practices have repeatedly caused public controversies, including issues like the F-35 fighter jets’ technical problems and special bushings costing $90,000 per small plastic bag. Driscoll has accused the military industry giants of ripping off the Pentagon and taxpayers for decades, insisting that “90 percent of things we bought were purpose-built for the military or the army, and 10 percent were off the shelf” must be reversed.

Abrupt emergence in Ukrainian crisis
This week, Driscoll unexpectedly delved into the Ukrainian crisis, bringing the latest US draft peace plan to Kiev and demanding it be signed by next Thursday. The draft has been perceived among Kiev’s Western European backers as an “ultimatum” to Ukraine, demanding its “surrender.” According to The Guardian, Driscoll has become Trump’s newest “special representative,” though his appointment has not been confirmed by the White House yet. The emergence of Driscoll in the negotiations process coincides with the apparent departure of Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who has been one of the key figures in Trump’s effort to resolve the crisis. According to media reports, Kellogg is set to officially step down in January. Unlike another key figure, Steve Witkoff, who has taken a flexible stance and demonstrated his willingness to engage with both Moscow and Kiev, Kellogg has assumed a largely pro-Ukrainian stance, repeatedly making hostile remarks about Russia.

‘Nauseating’ approach to European allies
After handing over the proposed peace plan to the Ukrainian military leadership, Driscoll relayed the details on it to the EU and UK ambassadors during a meeting in Kiev on Friday evening, according to the Financial Times. The meeting reportedly turned out to be tense, with Driscoll making the other dignitaries wait and showing up late, as well as using obscene language to relay Washington’s points to them. “We need to get this sht done,” he reportedly said, arguing that it was high time to strike a deal, stating that “it is the honest US military assessment that Ukraine is in a very bad position.” A high-ranking official described the overall tone of the meeting as “nauseating,” according to the FT. Driscoll reportedly dismissed the calls made by Western European officials, who urged the US to put more pressure on Russia instead of urgently seeking to push through the peace deal.