U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's impromptu role in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine thrusts into the mainstream what defense circles have been whispering about: He's a Trump 2.0 power player.
Why it matters: It was Driscoll who formally presented the 28-point peace plan to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. He then held a flurry of meetings in Kyiv, joined the U.S. delegation in Geneva and jetted to Abu Dhabi to meet the Russians.
- President Trump on Tuesday said he was dispatching Steve Witkoff to Moscow and directing Driscoll to steer the next stage of talks with Kyiv.
- These are — in sum — not the typical responsibilities of an Army secretary, aka the service's No. 1 civilian.
The big picture: Driscoll's star is rising. It's boosted by:
- Trust inside the White House;
- A willingness to engage media outside of the Pentagon's preferred pool of conservative outlets;
- And a marathon travel circuit that has brought him to dozens of military installations and countries — forts Bragg and Huachuca and Wainwright, plus Belgium and Germany and Poland, among others — in mere months.
Driving the news: It was Vice President Vance's idea to tap Driscoll, who was already planning a visit to Ukraine to discuss weapons, industrial output and strategy, according to U.S. officials.
- Vance and Driscoll are former Yale Law classmates and have a long-standing relationship.
- Driscoll — colloquially known as "drone guy" for his work on military modernization — was ultimately accompanied by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, Army Europe and Africa boss Gen. Christopher Donahue and others.
- Members of the delegation were briefed on drones, missiles, vehicles, situational awareness tools and production, alongside all the diplomatic festivities.
What they're saying: "We got Driscoll, who's well-liked, who's well-trusted. He's connected with U.S. government leadership," a U.S. official told Axios.
- "He's got ... experience as a soldier; he's now leading the Army. So he's a military guy. Hopefully that will connect us better with the culture of the Ukrainians and Russians."
Zoom out: Friction between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously been reported. The Pentagon and the White House have denied such a dynamic.
More from Axios:
How Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine shocked the world
