Who is Dan Driscoll? Trump's 'drone guy' who is now the power player behind his Ukraine peace plan

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll - File Photo

After nearly 2,000 days of war, there is renewed hope that the Russia-Ukraine conflict may be nearing an end. Reports indicate that Kyiv has agreed to a peace deal backed by the Donald Trump administration, with a “common understanding” reached on a revised proposal.

Confirming the development, a US official told ABC News, “The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.”

This agreement follows weeks of negotiations over the controversial 28 point peace plan initially proposed by Washington. That plan faced strong criticism, with many seeing it as favouring Moscow. After continued discussions, Ukraine is now said to have agreed to a revised 19 point plan, which reportedly includes a commitment not to expand the size of its military.

At the heart of these negotiations is a relatively new but powerful figure in the Trump administration, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.

From soldier to key negotiator

Dan Driscoll, 39, comes from a family with a deep military background. His grandfather served in World War II as a decoder, while his father fought as an infantryman in Vietnam. Driscoll himself was commissioned into the US Army in 2007 and served in Iraq in 2009 with the 10th Mountain Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Reflecting on his decision to serve, he once said, “I do not want to be the kind of person [when] I’m 40, 50, 60 years old and they ask the veterans to stand at an event, and I stay seated.”

After leaving active duty, Driscoll studied at Yale Law School where he met and became close friends with now US Vice President JD Vance. He later entered investment banking and served as chief operating officer of a $200 million venture capital fund. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has two children.

His close ties to JD Vance and White House rise

Driscoll’s rise in politics began in 2024 when Vance contacted him while he was on holiday in Switzerland and asked him to join Trump’s campaign. Driscoll returned to the US the next day and joined the effort ahead of the Republican National Convention.

After Trump won the presidency, Driscoll was appointed US Army Secretary. A person close to the White House told Politico, “Dan’s relationship with JD certainly helped him get the job, but all of his success has been on the merits. He’s just really f****ng good at the job.”

Trump has since taken a special interest in Driscoll’s work, referring to him as his “drone guy” due to his focus on modernising US forces and prioritising advanced military technology. Speaking in October, Driscoll said, “Our window to change is right now. We will win with silicon and software, not our soldiers’ blood and bodies.”

Another former White House official told The Telegraph, “Dan Driscoll is the opposite of Pete Hegseth, he’s serious, shrewd and has the confidence of the White House. Dan’s a workhorse, not a showhorse, and puts a lot of lead on target for the president in everything he does.”

Becoming Trump’s point man on Ukraine

Initially, Driscoll was not involved in Russia-Ukraine negotiations. That role belonged to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. However, when the original 28 point plan leaked and Kyiv raised objections, Driscoll made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to personally engage with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to CNN, Ukrainian officials trust US Army leaders who have trained and supported their forces for years. Driscoll reportedly helped resolve key Ukrainian concerns and assisted in shaping an updated peace framework.

He later joined negotiations in Geneva alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. After that, he travelled to Abu Dhabi to hold talks with Russian officials. The Times reported that Driscoll has been given unusual autonomy, negotiating directly with Russians without a large team of officials backing him.

A rising power in Washington

Driscoll’s growing influence has fuelled speculation that he could replace current Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth or even take on the role of US envoy to Ukraine if the position opens up.

One source told the New York Post, “People are betting on JD being the next president, and there is no question that Dan Driscoll will play a significant role in a Vance administration.”

For now, his involvement in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations marks his most prominent role yet. As Trump’s trusted operator and a key architect of the peace effort, Dan Driscoll has moved from a behind-the-scenes military leader to one of Washington’s most consequential power players.