In a matter of days, Military Secretary Dan Driscoll vaulted from being the chief of a navy paperwork — the place he’s been slicing pink tape to rapidly purchase cheap drones — to a key negotiator within the Trump administration’s push to finish the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The boyish Iraq Battle veteran, former enterprise capitalist and good friend of Vice President JD Vance went from presenting U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to sitting down with Russian officers within the United Arab Emirates on Monday and Tuesday, heading up the most recent part of talks on a doable deal to halt the combating.
Trump seems to imagine Driscoll’s efforts are going properly, posting on social media that “my group has made super progress.”
“Within the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan,” Trump wrote Tuesday, “I’ve directed my Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff to satisfy with President Putin in Moscow and, on the identical time, Secretary of the Military Dan Driscoll shall be assembly with the Ukrainians.”
It’s an unlikely task for the Military’s high civilian chief, who acquired the job in February at age 38. His Senate affirmation listening to targeted on how the Military may modernize its methods, enhance recruiting and beef up the navy industrial base, not worldwide diplomacy.
Tapping an surprising diplomat
Driscoll solely discovered of his new position as a negotiator a couple of week earlier than he was sitting throughout the desk from Zelenskyy, a U.S. official mentioned.
The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate delicate plans, mentioned Driscoll all the time had deliberate to go to Ukraine however the journey was aimed toward studying extra about how its navy has been utilizing drones in warfare, to not negotiate peace.
The official mentioned after Driscoll was named as a particular consultant by the White Home, he first traveled to Europe for briefings earlier than heading to Ukraine.
There, Driscoll clasped arms with Zelenskyy and expressed admiration for Ukrainian troopers, saying that even essentially the most combat-hardened American troops “by no means needed to defend their homeland.”
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“Once we the Military look and see how properly you guys have achieved, it’s outstanding,” Driscoll advised Zelenskyy final week. The Ukrainian chief mentioned he spoke for nearly an hour Friday with Vance and Driscoll concerning the proposal.
Driscoll’s efficiency in Ukraine appears to have paid off, as a result of from there, he joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and different high negotiators in Geneva to debate adjustments to the plan with the Ukrainians earlier than touring to Abu Dhabi to barter with the Russians. The negotiations with Moscow have been solely a chance only a week prior, the official mentioned.
The Trump administration shakes issues up
Some consultants say his position within the negotiations is an out-of-the-box transfer by the Trump administration which will or might not repay.
“I feel what is useful from this administration is its willingness to throw out concepts and check out issues,” mentioned Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program on the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research. However he added, “I had not heard of Dan Driscoll, to be frank, in Ukraine-Russia conversations in any respect.”
Driscoll’s worth is his connection to the vice chairman, Bergmann mentioned. Driscoll has identified Vance since legislation faculty at Yale College and beforehand served as Vance’s adviser, giving the Military secretary a direct line to the Trump administration — and extra leverage — throughout negotiations.
“There’s something to be mentioned about having somebody who might be texting with the vice chairman and subsequently has that political juice,” mentioned Bergmann, who served in State Division positions throughout President Barack Obama’s administration.
However Bergmann mentioned there’s additionally benefit to having experience, significantly on a problem as fraught as Russia’s conflict with Ukraine: “The small print actually matter right here.”
Daniel Fried, an Atlantic Council fellow who’s a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, mentioned Driscoll can overcome a lack of understanding if he has somebody advising him. Plus, the truth that Driscoll is trusted by the administration is a notable asset.
“You don’t wish to have somebody who reaches a handshake cope with the Ukrainians or the Russians and doesn’t have the boldness of the higher reaches of the Trump administration,” Fried mentioned.
Driscoll’s aspirations as a politician
Driscoll’s resume didn’t counsel he can be a high American negotiator making an attempt to finish essentially the most protracted conflict in Europe since 1945, although he had aspirations to be a politician.
Driscoll advised senators throughout his affirmation listening to that he “joined the Military as a middle-class public faculty child from the mountains of North Carolina,” noting that his dad was an Military infantryman in Vietnam and his grandfather was an Military decoder in World Battle II.
“Most necessary, I intend to be the troopers’ secretary of the Military, not of the generals or of the paperwork,” he mentioned in his opening assertion. “It’s the American soldier to whom our nationwide protection and prosperity are entrusted.”
He went to the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, enrolling in its enterprise faculty and graduating in three years, in keeping with a profile on the varsity’s web site.
Driscoll served within the Military as an armor officer for greater than three years and earned the rank of first lieutenant. He deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010.
After legislation faculty, Driscoll labored for enterprise capital companies. He ran unsuccessfully within the Republican main for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded area of candidates.
Driscoll has some expertise negotiating as Military secretary, involving the Military’s must proceed utilizing the one large-scale live-fire coaching vary for floor forces in Hawaii so it could possibly rapidly ship troops to Asia and the Pacific.
A Might public listening to on whether or not to increase the lease generated hours of testimony towards permitting the Military to remain. Many Native Hawaiians and environmental activists upset with the U.S. navy’s historical past of damaging lands with goal apply and gasoline leaks mentioned they wished the land returned to the state.
Driscoll visited Hawaii in July to debate the matter with Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Inexperienced, who mentioned he spent vital time chatting with Driscoll and his group.
“Discussions are cordial and are nonetheless within the early levels,” Inexperienced’s workplace mentioned this week.
